Sebastian Vettel announces racing return in ‘super team’ alongside axed F1 star
The four-time F1 world champion retired in 2022 but will reform a German partnership next March
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Sebastian Vettel will return to racing next year at the 2025 Race of Champions in Sydney, teaming up with compatriot and friend Mick Schumacher.
Four-time F1 world champion Vettel retired in 2022 after 16 seasons in the sport, where he raced for the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin.
Yet next March at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, Vettel will form a German ‘super team’ alongside Schumacher – son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher – in the ROC Nations Cup.
Pairs from around the world compete against each other, as well as head-to-head for the individual title. The 2025 event takes place one week before the first race of the 2025 F1 season, the Australian Grand Prix, at Albert Park in Melbourne.
“I’m delighted to be coming back to the Race Of Champions and teaming up with Mick again,” said Vettel. “It will be exciting to race in the former Olympic Stadium in Sydney that looks like it will be a great venue for the Race Of Champions.
“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.
“I will do everything I can to help Germany win another ROC Nations Cup title with Mick on the Friday evening, but I will not be doing him any favours when we are going for the outright win on the Saturday night, especially as he beat me in the semi-finals of the individual ROC in Sweden in 2023!”
Vettel won the individual ROC in London’s Olympic Stadium in 2015 and teamed up with Mick’s father Michael to win the Nations Cup for Germany six times.
Mick – whose two-year stint in F1 ended in 2022 when he was axed by Haas – finished runner-up at the ROC in Sweden last year and placed second alongside Vettel in Mexico in 2019.
Schumacher added: “Australia is one of my favourite places and representing Germany together with Sebastian at ROC Sydney will for sure be big fun.
“After finishing second 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.
“I very much look forward to meeting all the other drivers and spending time with them during the Race Of Champions weekend in Sydney. I am sure the drivers will have a crazy good time together and put on a super show for the Australian fans.”
Schumacher is also in the running for the second seat at Sauber (Audi) next year. Should he land a second chance in F1, it remains to be seen if he would still compete at the Race of Champions.
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