Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Lewis Hamilton has given Mercedes a big headache with his move to Ferrari in 2025. As the Briton is leaving, there is a huge vacuum at the Brackley-based team for next season, as to who will partner George Russell. While Hamilton could be least bothered about who his successor will be, one of his former rivals and friends has piqued the 39-year-old’s interest as a candidate for Mercedes. There have been reports of Sebastian Vettel having an interest in returning to F1 with the vacancy at the Silver Arrows. Hamilton feels this could be the perfect arrangement for both Vettel and Mercedes.

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According to ESPN, the Briton said, “I would love for Seb [Vettel] to come back and I think it would be an amazing option for the team. 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”.

Hamilton hit the nail on the head with the German connection that could make Vettel the perfect candidate for Mercedes. When the four-time champion retired from F1, he mentioned that he would only return if he gets a project that interests him enough.

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Previously, there have been reports that connected Vettel to Audi, which is also a German brand entering F1 in 2026. Similarly, Mercedes would want to have someone like Vettel in their car as well. However, for the former Red Bull driver, the competitiveness of Mercedes would be the key factor to consider.

Vettel won’t want to return to just fight for points and the occasional podium – the exact reason Lewis Hamilton is leaving in the first place. So, while the seven-time champion approves that Vettel could be the perfect choice, the German may think twice before advancing talks with Toto Wolff.

How likely is it that Sebastian Vettel returns to F1 with Mercedes?

From Mercedes’s perspective, they would most likely be keen to see Sebastian Vettel drive for them in 2025. Toto Wolff is quite open to all sorts of options to replace Lewis Hamilton. The Austrian’s openness is evident with his indirect pitching of Max Verstappen as a potential successor for Hamilton!

There have been reports that Wolff has also been in touch with Vettel. The latter even opened up about the same in an interaction with Sky Sports F1 lately. However, Vettel cited that they only discussed the current happenings and how the sport will see several changes, rather than a specific discussion on any return prospects.

Nonetheless, the 36-year-old will keep any such conversations under wraps, as he will look to assess how competitive a car Mercedes can provide him. Besides, the four-time champion is also aiming for a return to racing in a non-F1 category.

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Vettel tested for Porsche Penske’s WEC team, driving their HyperCar recently. This news led to immense speculation on what the German racer is planning to do. Many suggest that Vettel would want to drive at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the HyperCar category, be it this year or in 2025.

While he mentioned that the test did not mean much and it was “fun”, he did not categorically deny a racing return in WEC. If Vettel has the racing spark and motivation left, he would look to assess all his options, including F1 and WEC, and take a call soon.