SUMMARY
- Lewis Hamilton recently left a massive void at Mercedes with his move to Ferrari.
- Toto Wolff denies seeking Sebastian Vettel to replace the seven-time world champion at Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton has attained the ‘God’ status at Mercedes, having secured a whopping six drivers’ championship titles and eight constructors’ championship titles in his decade-long tenure. However, now that his departure is imminent, what does the future hold for Toto Wolff and Co., who are as shocked as the entire motorsport community?
Wolff’s early reactions clearly indicated that the team wasn’t entirely prepared for Hamilton’s dramatic jump to Ferrari. Subsequently, the Brackley outfit is now left scrambling for a replacement that could match Hamilton’s energy and talent. While it may not be as straightforward as it sounds, Mercedes does have a handful of options that might fulfill their prerequisites.
Toto Wolff when asked whether Sebastian Vettel might come back to F1 and drive for Mercedes:
“I think he made the decision to not race anymore. We are talking on a regular basis. We’ve also talked yesterday, but it wasn’t about driving for us in the future.”
[@tgruener]#F1 pic.twitter.com/VmL7VQgDsE
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) February 2, 2024
Of course, there’s Fernando Alonso, who is hungrier than ever, seeking what could be his third world championship title in Formula 1. However, Wolff recently suggested that Mercedes is willing to do something brave and seek a different path, meaning, they might pursue a rookie in Kimi Antonelli or maybe a retired Formula 1 driver in Sebastian Vettel.
The latter option does sound quite intriguing, and there were indeed quite interesting speculations around Vettel’s potential return to F1 with Mercedes. But, Wolff did not hesitate to shun such rumors with an open response.
Mercedes F1 rumors grow against Toto Wolff’s admission
Wolff recently admitted getting on a call with Vettel but immediately denied the discussion having anything to do with the vacant seat at Mercedes. “I think he made the decision to not race anymore. We are talking on a regular basis. We’ve also talked yesterday, but it wasn’t about driving for us in the future,” he said.
However, the German media is busy spinning up a contrasting rumor, suggesting the four-time world champion might return to Formula 1 after all. F1 Insider’s article read, “Vettel’s return to Formula 1 is quite possible. He can follow in the footsteps of his idol, Michael Schumacher, who ended his career by bidding farewell to Ferrari and then returned to racing with Mercedes.
“A return for Sebastian seems like a very attractive scenario,” the German media wrote according to Motorsport. However, the big question is, is Vettel willing to make a legendary comeback to the sport after the year-long sabbatical?