F1 News: Sebastian Vettel considers joining Red Bull as senior advisor
Sebastian Vettel is open to returning to Red Bull and working in a senior management position, Helmut Marko has revealed.
Vettel's career in Formula 1 - at least for now - concluded at the Abu Dhabi GP, with the 33-year-old collecting his final point in the Yas Marina circuit.
After spending a few seasons competing in the midfield with Aston Martin, Vettel feels prepared to start a new chapter outside the cockpit.
However, Vettel has not entirely ruled out staying in the F1 paddock in some capacity.
Red Bull's Helmut Marko has eluded to Vettel's chances of returning in the near future, revealing in an interview there have been informal talks about joining Red Bull as an advisor:
"We had a discussion, and I think if he could get a top position in management, that would appeal to him.
"That crystalised in the talk. But now, let's just let him plant some trees and then see what happens.
"He would certainly have the potential, and he would have the potential for it."
Helmut Marko recognises that Vettel is not guaranteed to take such an offer, especially in the weeks and months immediately after his retirement from the sport.
With that said, it is plausible to suggest that Vettel will consider finding a new role within the F1 paddock.
On the one hand, Vettel has spoken about his intentions to go beyond Formula 1 and begin a new chapter, so he may be uninterested in travelling to races in the foreseeable future.
It seems unlikely the Four-time Champion would have retired if he was still interested in travelling to all the races on the calendar.
Still, there is a reasonable chance that Vettel is tempted by the possibility of remaining active in the paddock and eventually joining Red Bull - whether in a minor or significant capacity.