Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and more – The drivers Sebastian Vettel could follow by coming out of retirement to make an F1 return

Sebastian Vettel has made the headlines in latest weeks after admitting {that a} Method 1 comeback may very well be “interesting” for 2025. However what number of different drivers have ended their retirements to return to the game over time and, extra importantly, how did they fare? We’ve put collectively a shortlist…

Niki Lauda: Retired in 1979, returned in 1982

Niki Lauda initially known as time on his F1 profession on the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix, the place he informed Brabham staff boss Bernie Ecclestone that he now not wished to “drive in circles” – as a substitute ploughing his power into getting his personal airline enterprise off the bottom.

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However just a few years on, McLaren and sponsor Marlboro dangled the carrot of an F1 return – and the prospect so as to add to the 2 world titles he had achieved with Ferrari within the Seventies – in entrance of the Austrian, and it was a possibility he grabbed.

After a brace of wins in 1982 and a pair extra podiums in 1983, McLaren delivered the speedy, Porsche-powered MP4/2 for 1984, through which Lauda managed to pip staff mate and rising star Alain Prost to the title by half some extent.

Lauda continued for another season, taking his twenty fifth and last win on the 1985 Dutch Grand Prix, earlier than embarking on a spread of consultancy and managerial roles with Ferrari, Jaguar and most lately Mercedes, the place he remained till his passing in 2019.

Alan Jones: Retired in 1981, returned in 1983

Alan Jones made his F1 debut within the mid-Seventies and, some 5 years later, had reached the heights of title glory with Williams – turning into solely the second Australian driver to attain the feat after triple world champion Jack Brabham.

Having come near doubling up in 1981, putting third within the standings behind staff mate Carlos Reutemann and Brabham’s eventual title winner Nelson Piquet, ‘AJ’ determined that he’d had sufficient of travelling world wide and introduced his retirement.

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Victory in his then last race at Caesars Palace was a advantageous technique to bow out, just for Jones to return to motion little greater than a 12 months later with Arrows, regardless of breaking his leg in a horse-riding accident. Nevertheless, when sponsorship cash didn’t materialise the 2 events went their separate methods, having began only one Grand Prix collectively.

Some three years later, Jones returned full-time with Haas, however the common podiums and wins from his preliminary stint in F1 had been swapped for normal retirements – a P4 end in Austria and P6 lead to Italy the 2 highlights from an in any other case painful 1986. He retired once more thereafter.

Nigel Mansell: Retired in 1992, returned in 1994

Nigel Mansell realised his long-held ambition of turning into F1 world champion with Williams and their all-conquering FW14B in 1992, however no sooner had the Briton put his fingers on that coveted prize, he departed the staff and the game as a complete.

Certainly, after falling out with staff chiefs Frank Williams and Patrick Head over the phrases of a brand new deal, and the upcoming arrival of Prost (with whom he’d skilled a tense relationship at Ferrari), Mansell opted for a transfer to America and the Indy Automotive World Collection.

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A 12 months later, and with the CART title additionally underneath his belt, Mansell returned to F1 and Williams following Ayrton Senna’s loss of life, making a number of appearances by way of 1994 and scoring a pole place/victory double on the season finale in Adelaide – just for Williams to provide David Coulthard a full-time drive alongside Damon Hill in 1995.

Mansell subsequently headed to a different legendary British staff in McLaren, however having struggled to suit into the slim MP4/10B and lacking the beginning of the season, he couldn’t become familiar with the automotive when he ultimately sat behind the wheel and completely retired after two difficult race weekends.

Michael Schumacher: Retired in 2006, returned in 2010

After Brawn GP’s sensational title double in 2009, it was all change on the Brackley staff for 2010 as German automotive big Mercedes purchased the operation and signalled their full-time return to F1 competitors – with a view to emulating their success from the Fifties.

Neither Jenson Button (heading to McLaren) nor Rubens Barrichello (transferring to Williams) would symbolize the marque, although, with staff bosses as a substitute signing an all-German line-up of Nico Rosberg and returning world champion Michael Schumacher.

READ MORE: ‘At this time was somewhat current to myself’ – The story of Michael Schumacher’s 91st and last F1 win

Schumacher, who had racked up a pair of titles with Benetton within the Nineteen Nineties and 5 with Ferrari within the noughties, was eager so as to add one other chapter of success to his F1 story, however whereas a three-year spell with the Silver Arrows introduced loads of factors, it yielded only one podium end.

Schumacher was, nonetheless, credited with serving to to put the foundations for Mercedes’ success within the turbo-hybrid period that adopted – the staff profitable eight constructors’ titles and 7 drivers’ titles from 2014 to 2021.

Kimi Raikkonen: Retired in 2009, returned in 2012

Whereas it was not formally introduced as a retirement on the time, Kimi Raikkonen stepped away from the F1 grid on the finish of a difficult 2009 season with Ferrari, regardless of having a contract to race with the staff – who signed Fernando Alonso in his place – by way of 2010.

Over the subsequent couple of years, the Finn dabbled in his ardour for mixed-surface competitors with outings within the World Rally Championship and in addition sampled the world of NASCAR, however the F1 paddock remained desirous about his companies and he returned with Lotus for 2012.

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An excellent victory – and radio message – adopted at that 12 months’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, earlier than he kicked off the 2013 marketing campaign with a equally spectacular win in Australia. After bagging a number of extra podiums, Raikkonen quickly discovered himself heading again to the squad he had left in Ferrari.

Whereas Raikkonen’s subsequent spell at Maranello was not as profitable as his first, which included a run to the title in 2007, he added loads extra trophies to his cupboard and took a very fashionable twenty first and last victory on the 2018 United States Grand Prix, earlier than embarking on a farewell stint with Alfa Romeo.

Fernando Alonso: Retired in 2018, returned in 2021

Alonso got here agonisingly near profitable the title with Ferrari after changing Raikkonen however with the highest prize remaining elusive throughout a five-year spell in purple he made a return to McLaren for 2015, the place issues went from unhealthy to worse because of an ailing Honda energy unit.

Alonso patiently waited for progress throughout three seasons powered by the Japanese producer, and one other when Renault stepped in as their substitute, however with no signal of the race and title-contending kind he had been craving, the Spaniard walked away from F1.

READ MORE: From Hungary 2003 to Spain 2013 – Rating Alonso’s greatest wins from 10 to 1

Like Raikkonen, Alonso tried a bunch of various classes within the years that adopted, with highlights together with a pair of victories on the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the general World Endurance Championship title, alongside outings within the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the Dakar Rally and the Indianapolis 500.

Alonso was then tempted again to F1 by Alpine, or ‘Group Enstone’, the place he received his pair of world titles in 2005 and 2006, with a transfer to Aston Martin and a transfer up the grid quickly following as his quest for that third championship continues.

What’s extra the Spaniard has simply signed on at Aston Martin by way of to 2026, with chapters of his F1 journey nonetheless to be written.