Sebastian Vettel teases ‘plans for Formula 1’ amid Mercedes comeback rumours

Michelle Foster
Sebastian Vettel, four-time F1 World Champion

Sebastian Vettel took 53 victories in a glittering F1 career.

Sebastian Vettel has spoken with Toto Wolff about the soon-to-be-vacant 2025 Mercedes race seat, but more about what’s happening than him replacing Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton shocked the world of motorsport, and his team boss Wolff, when he announced back in February that this season would be his 12th and final year with Mercedes.

Sebastian Vettel ‘flirting’ with the idea of an F1 comeback

Wolff, who was informed by Hamilton over coffee as the news began to leak, told Fox Sports Australia that “after five-minute shock and disbelief“, his thoughts turned to the future.

Of course, the big thing to consider was who would replace Hamilton come 2025.

From Fernando Alonso to Andrea Kimi Antonelli to Carlos Sainz, Wolff has his pick of the drivers who aren’t under contract for next season, and even the possibility of Max Verstappen, who has also been linked to Hamilton’s race seat.

But they aren’t the only candidates with four-time World Champion Vettel, who quit the sport after the 2022 season, also said to be in the running.

The 36-year-old German confirmed he has been in contact with Wolff, but it’s more to do with a catch up about what is happening than negotiating his arrival.

“We spoke on the phone, but not specifically about the fact that I could take the place, but rather that a lot is happening at Mercedes,” he told sport.de.

He did admit he does “think about” and “flirt with” the idea of a comeback but “when I made the decision back then, I had several reasons for it.”

But while Vettel did tell the publication he has “plans for Formula 1”, and this year already, he didn’t go into detail other than to say he didn’t know “whether that will take place”.

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Could Vettel step out of retirement for Le Mans?

Having quit Formula 1 to focus on family and bees, Vettel recently tested a Porsche 963 with an eye to potentially competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Testing the car in Spain, the four-time F1 World Champion has yet to decide if he wants to contest the iconic race.

“I don’t know that yet, that’s the honest answer,” he said.

Speaking about pursuing his “curiosity and feel what a long-distance car feels like”, he said it was an “enriching experience, the cars are completely different, it was the first time I drove a racing car with a roof after not sitting behind the wheel for a long time.

But, he added: “I don’t know what will come of it yet, I have to feel a little bit about it now. Time will tell.”

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