Earlier this week, Sebastian Vettel indicated that he had spoken to a few figures from the Formula 1 paddock about a possible return to the racing series. With four world titles and a wealth of experience under his belt, the German will be anything but unwanted should he decide to return. “You cannot leave him out of consideration,” says Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
The Austrian does not hide the fact that he is impressed by Vettel’s record, Speedcafe reports. “What he has achieved is phenomenal,” he says. The team boss does not see the fact that Vettel will be out for at least two years upon his return as a negative. “Sometimes taking a break is necessary to evaluate what is important to you and to refine your motivation,” says the man who is currently looking for someone to take the seat next to George Russell.
Hamilton sees former rival as a good fit for Mercedes
Mercedes doesn’t seem to have quite figured out what they want yet. Are they going for a young driver, an experienced driver or perhaps a combination of the two? Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s name has been doing the rounds for a while, but Esteban Ocon is also mentioned occasionally. The Frenchman is still under Mercedes management and his contract with Alpine expires at the end of this year.
However, Lewis Hamilton would like to see his former rival take his seat. “I would like to see Seb come back,” admits the seven-time world champion. According to him, the German would be a very good option for Mercedes. “He is a multiple world champion and he has great values with which he can take the team further,” praised the British Vettel at the start of the race weekend. “All that matters to me is that the team chooses someone with integrity and values that fit the team and where the team wants to go,” Hamilton continued. ‘Someone with compassion who can work with these wonderful people.’
Young driver next to Russell is not a bad idea
The man from Stevenage realizes that not everyone will be a good fit for the German racing team, although he does not mention any names. “There are drivers who are a bit more selfish than others and there are drivers who are very good, but may not fit very well in a team environment,” the Briton said. Although he certainly sees Vettel as a good option, he thinks that a young driver alongside Russell would also work well. “They already have George and he is perfect for the team,” he said. “I’m sure they have a lot of options and it’s always great to give an up-and-coming talent a chance,” says the future Ferrari driver. “The idea of a young driver is also very exciting.”
