F1 legend Sebastian Vettel invests in new German SailGP team

Formula 1 legend Sebastian Vettel has invested in the new German SailGP team in his first sporting move after his retirement from racing.

The four-time world champion, 35, teams up with two-time Olympic sailing bronze medalist Erik Heil and team owner Thomas Riedel in the sport often described as ‘F1 on the water’.

Vettel and Riedel will both put money into the German team, while Heil, who was a podium finisher at both the Rio 2016 Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will pilot the 100km/h F50 hydrofoil catamaran.

The German boat moves the SailGP field to 11th ahead of the opening event of the fourth season in Chicago on June 16.

Vettel said: “I see a lot of potential as SailGP enters its fourth season and for the first time with a German team. Parallels between sailors and Formula 1 have long existed.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts (left) hands over the wheel of the German boat to (second left to right) Erik Heil (driver), Sebastian Vettel (co-owner) and Thomas Riedel (team owner)

Germany will be the latest addition to the SailGP fleet ahead of the event’s fourth season

‘The boats are fascinating and the speeds on the water are incredibly high. The races are exciting and I’m happy to be close with a motivated group of young sailors.

“Moreover, the series not only uses wind energy, but also strives to set new standards in sustainability in the sport.”

Vettel won four consecutive Formula 1 drivers’ championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, before pushing Lewis Hamilton close with Ferrari in 2017 and 2018.

He spent the last two seasons of his F1 career with Aston Martin before announcing his retirement in July 2022.

Vettel plans to take a hands-on role in the management of the German SailGP team, which was officially welcomed by CEO Sir Russell Coutts at an event in Düsseldorf on Wednesday.

The strongest challengers in the 2023-2024 season are three-time SailGP champion Australia under Tom Slingsby, the New Zealand boat under Pete Burling and the British team under Sir Ben Ainslie.

In the fourth SailGP season, a fan owned team is introduced representing the Caribbean and Bermuda.

Vettel won four consecutive world titles in Formula 1 with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013

Vettel, 35, waved goodbye to Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season with Aston Martin

The sustainability aspect of SailGP would have been a major draw for Vettel, as all teams compete in an Impact League that ranks them as the most environmentally conscious teams.

Vettel regularly wore custom T-shirts and helmets during his F1 days to promote environmental causes.

He overtook Lewis Hamilton at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, with the Mercedes driver posting an Instagram photo of them embracing.