Sebastian Vettel launches his German SailGP team

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel and double Olympic medalist in sailing Erik Heil have joined forces, alongside team owner Thomas Riedel, to announce the creation of a brand new German SailGP team. Germany will be the latest nation to participate in the global racing league, with the fourth season kicking off on June 16th and 17th at the Rolex United States Sail Grand Prix in Chicago.

Sebastian Vettel will join forces with entrepreneur and investor Riedel – president of the communication company that bears his name – with whom Vettel recently co-invested. One might think that the two men are only financiers, but in a statement released by SailGP on behalf of the team, it is specified that Vettel and Riedel will both play an active role in the management and performance of the team.

“I see a lot of potential as SailGP enters its fourth season,” explains Vettel.

The parallels between sailors and Formula 1 have long existed. Boats are fascinating and the speeds on the water are incredibly high.

On his side, the future driver expresses his impatience at the idea of participating in the race: « Today is a very exciting step in the team’s journey and we have gathered an extraordinary team. But we have no illusions about the task’s easiness, as other world-class teams have paid the price when they entered SailGP. We will have to work hard to climb up the ranks. That’s the objective. However, SailGP brings together the best athletes in our sport and personally, I can’t wait to race. »

Vettel, who left Formula 1 in 2022 after years in the sport, has increasingly spoken out on climate and sustainable development issues, both within and outside of the sport. And it seems that this passion has not disappeared, as the German declared that it was one of the main reasons why he was attracted to SailGP.