Vettel did not take Red Bull interest seriously: 'Never really close'

Sebastian Vettel enjoyed the most successful period of his career at Red Bull Racing where he won four consecutive world titles. Two years ago, the two sides reportedly talked behind the scenes about a return, although Vettel took it less seriously.

Team boss Christian Horner revealed earlier this year that Red Bull did express interest in bringing Vettel back as Alexander Albon's replacement in late 2020. However, the Austrian formation eventually opted for Sergio Perez, while Vettel made the move to Aston Martin.

Whereas Horner seriously considered letting Vettel experience a second spell at Red Bull, the German looks at the situation completely differently. According to the four-time world champion, the two sides talked to each other but never got serious. He reveals this in conversation with Formula1.com.

"I made the decision to join Aston Martin before I think it was really in discussion that Alex was going to leave, so it was never really close," Vettel assessed. "Of course I know Christian, I know Helmut, so for sure, I had a sort of brief chat with them, but never really anything serious."

In retrospect, Vettel has by no means regretted his move to Aston Martin. In doing so, he admits that with the racing stable, he had expected a better performance in 2021. However, this season, according to Vettel, the team has been able to make great strides, allowing him to say goodbye to Formula 1 with a good feeling.