'Formula 1 is Over' - Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel Rules Out F1 Comeback, Leaves Door Open For Endurance Racing

There has been a lot of chatter around four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel making a comeback to the sport, with talks around a return to Red Bull in a non-sporting role never too far away. 

However, the German has made one thing very clear - he will not be coming back to F1 in a competitive capacity again. 

"Formula 1 is over. At some point, the time is ripe to leave the field to others," Vettel told Auto Motor und Sport.

But that doesn't mean he is totally closed off to racing altogether, and hinted at joining another notable racing series - the World Endurance Championship. 

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Vettel's Endurance Racing Hint

Endurance racing is a completely different beast to F1 - drivers have to work as a proper unit given the races last a day, and the car is also very different. 

However, the sparse schedule of the WEC means it holds plenty of an appeal for Vettel should he want to be tempted out of a comeback. 

"The WEC would actually be a good fit with its eight races, which are also staggered differently than Formula 1. It’s always a question of how intensively you want to do something. For me, it has always been the case that I want to do it right when I get involved in something. Just a little bit of driving is not for me." 

As of now, it is worth noting that Vettel has not made any moves - he is merely expressing an interest. However, he would not be the first to want to make the switch to endurance racing. 

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Other F1 Races to Make The Switch

Fernando Alonso notably won the 24 Hours of Le Mans during his time away from F1, and Robert Kubica recently won the race too. 

Max Verstappen, the current F1 world champion, has made no secret about his desire to one day participate in endurance racing. 

Should Vettel make the switch, however, he would be one of the more high-profile ones to do so in recent times.