Sebastian Vettel confirms next race alongside F1 ally after months of comeback talks
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel retired at the end of the 2022 season and, pretty much ever since, there have been rumours about a potential return
Sebastian Vettel will once again team up with Mick Schumacher to represent his country at the next Race of Champions.
The 2025 edition of the event will be held at the Sydney Olympic Stadium which hosted the 2000 Games, after two years on a snow and ice track in northern Sweden. And, as they did in Pite Havsbad, four-time F1 champion Vettel and compatriot Schumacher will represent Germany.
Former Red Bull and Ferrari driver Vettel is a Race of Champions regular having competed on and off since 2007, held at Wembley Stadium in London. He teamed up with Michael Schumacher to win the Nations' Cup and they repeated the trick for six years in a row.
And now he will continue his partnership with the F1 legend's son Mick, with whom he has a strong friendship. The 2025 Race of Champions will take place on March 7 and 8 - one week before the first event of the new F1 season further south-west in Melbourne.
Vettel said: "I am delighted to be coming back to the Race Of Champions and teaming up with Mick again. I am also supportive of ROC's efforts taking steps towards becoming a sustainable motorsport event, which started at ROC Sweden.
"All the drivers who have the honour to participate in ROC fall in love with the event, because it reminds us about why we first started racing - pure competition and of course with the identical cars there are no excuses."
Schumacher added: "After finishing 2nd in the individual ROC in Sweden in 2023 and in the ROC Nations Cup in ROC Mexico with Seb, the goal this time has to be the overall winners trophy both in the ROC Nations Cup on Friday night and in the individual Race Of Champions on Saturday."
Vettel's popularity means there has been plenty of talk over whether he would consider an F1 comeback. He is still only 37 - younger than both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso - and shortly after walking away from the grid he failed to full close the door on a future drive back in the sport.
But one of the main reasons he chose to walk away when he did was to spend more time with his wife and young family, which is not compatible with the demands of a 24-race F1 season. He has made the most of that, while also championing his vision of a future in which all motorsports are sustainable.
And Adrian Newey, who designs all four of the racing machines in which Vettel secured F1 title glory, said last month he does not expect his old ally making a full comeback. Newey said: "I can't see that, no. He's enjoying his life, he's moved on. He's doing different things and fair play to him."
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