F1 superstar Sebastian Vettel has finally broken his silence on his next sporting move after it was announced the 35-year-old has deposited a sum of his own money to become a co-investor of the Germany national sailing team in SailGP. Fans will be left taken aback after Vettel appears to have switched codes, following weeks of rumours regarding an upcoming formula one position.
After retiring from F1, Vettel has now teamed up with double Olympic sailing bronze medallist Erik Heil and team owner Thomas Riedel to enter a Germany team into SailGP – a rapidly rising sport dubbed the ‘F1 of the seas’, where nations compete against each other in glamorous locations around the world in high speed F50 catamaran boats.
The deal has been rubber-stamped in Dusseldorf with SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts, who has now officially welcomed the German team ahead of season four of the sport kicking off in Chicago next month.
Vettel is poised to take a hands on, active role in the management and performance of the team, as it competes against the likes of Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain – skippered by Olympic icon Sir Ben Ainslie.
Vettel’s partner Heil, who won Olympic bronze medals at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, will drive the cutting-edge, hydrofoiling German F50 boat, powered purely by wind.
Speaking for the first time of his maiden voyage away from the world of F1, Vettel told Express Sport: “I see a lot of potential as SailGP starts its fourth season and for the first time with a German team.
“Parallels between sailors and Formula 1 have long existed. The boats are fascinating and the speeds on the water are incredibly high.
“The races are exciting and I am happy to be close to them with a motivated group of young sailors. In addition, the series not only uses wind power, but also strives to set new standards in sustainability in sports.”
The German team will compete in the first event of the global league’s fourth season, beginning in Chicago.
In addition to Heil, female German-Brazilian double Olympic champion from Rio and Tokyo will make up part of Vettel’s crew, while Kahena Kunze was also announced as the team’s strategist. The full team line-up is set to be announced next month.
For weeks the subject of Vettel’s future involvement in the world of F1 had become a hot topic of discussion.
Sky Sports F1 pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz had hinted Vettel was likely to return to the sport in a management position, with a possible link-up at former team Red Bull.
While such a move for Vettel has not been ruled out by any parties, the former nemesis of Lewis Hamilton is said to be first prioritising the success of the Germany SailGP venture before adding to his workload.
Kravitz has also even tipped the German ace to replace Helmut Marko as one of the squad’s leading advisors, though also feels a potential switch to Audi – who will enter F1 from the start of 2026 – could well be on the horizon.
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