Hamilton Proposes Vettel As 'Amazing Option' For Mercedes

Thursday, 04 April 2024 at 12:00

During the press day ahead of the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton suggested that he would love Sebastian Vettel to return to the sport and replace him at Mercedes.

There has been a lot of buzz around the second seat in Mercedes, which so far has no owner for the 2025 season. Toto Wolff is not rushing his decision, and he has quite a few great options on the table at the moment.

One of them seems to be Sebastian Vettel, who admitted he might potentially be in the market but said he still has not decided whether he wants to return to F1.

One of his former biggest rivals, and also great friends at the same time, Lewis Hamilton, was asked on Thursday ahead of the fourth round of the season at Suzuka Circuit about what he thought about Vettel potentially replacing him, and he said:

"I would love for Seb to come back, and I think it would be an amazing option for the team."

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"German driver, multi-world championship winning driver, and someone who has amazing values who would continue to take the team forward. I'd love it if he came back."

On the other hand, even if Vettel did decide that he wanted to return to F1 to race for Mercedes, it doesn't mean he would get the seat.

Toto Wolff made it clear he was waiting for Max Verstappen to decide whether he wants to leave Red Bull. If the Dutchman stayed with his team, which it seems he will, Wolff still has other options he might prioritize over Vettel.

Wolff missed the Chance to sign a young, talented driver in 2014 (Verstappen), and he doesn't want to repeat the same mistake with another prodigy—Andrea Kimi Antonelli (who currently competes in F2). According to ESPN, Wolff would prioritize the 17-year-old for the seat at Mercedes as it currently stands.

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