Retired four-time F1 champ Sebastian Vettel hints at shock return with Mercedes
Formula 1 great Sebastian Vettel has hinted at the possibility of replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in a shock return to the world championship.
Vettel retired at the end of the 2022 season, leaving Aston Martin after a two-year spell and ending a 15-year career in the sport that included four title wins with Red Bull.
Soon he could replace the man he was twice runner-up to.
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On Thursday, the German driver spoke at length with Sky News and Sky Sports F1 about the possibility of racing again.
Lewis Hamilton (left) and Sebastian Vettel on the podium at the 2015 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Lars Baron via Getty Images
Asked whether he was looking for an F1 drive in 2025, Vettel said "Well, potentially I am because I haven't got a drive, but the question is am I looking for one?"
"I think it depends on the package," he told Sky Sport F1.
"I retired from Formula 1 not to come back but I also did say you never know.
"I think it still stands obviously there are things that I miss, which is mostly the competition, and things that I don't miss. That hasn't changed.
"Obviously life is very different if you're not involved. I do enjoy that still, still trying lots of different things.
"You never know where life is taking you. Maybe it takes me back behind the wheel, maybe it doesn't."
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain drives the Mercedes W15 during the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Chris Putnam/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Mercedes has a vacancy alongside George Russell with its seven-time champion Hamilton moving to Ferrari next year.
Formula 2 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been spoken about as a potential replacement, although that relies on his performance in the second-tier championship.
Max Verstappen is supposedly on Mercedes' radar but he is contracted to Red Bull until 2028.
Although Vettel confirmed talks with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, he said discussions weren't specifically about joining the team as a driver.
"I had conversations with him, not really about the seat," said Vettel.
Toto Wolff speaks during a press conference. Jared C. Tilton via Getty Images
"We did speak about the whole situation in short as well but I did speak to others as well because I am still keeping in touch every now and then.
"I have some projects and ideas together with F1. We'll see if they will turn out or not – so I am staying in touch.
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"I don't know. It has to be a couple more phone calls and conversations I guess to find out a little bit more. But for sure, it's one of the best cockpits or best seats on the grid.
"I think performance-wise, Mercedes has a great track record, struggling a little bit in the last (few) years but then struggling, you're still second or third in the constructors'. It's not like you're racing in no man's land."
Sebastian Vettel tested a Porsche 963 at Motorland Aragon in Spain. Porsche
Vettel recently tested with Porsche Penske Motorsport in one of its 963 LMDh sports cars in Spain.
That spurred rumours the 36-year-old could make his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans later this year.
Vettel said he still thinks about returning to racing but admits it's not his priority with three children and business ventures of his own to focus on.
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"I've been testing," he told Sky News.
"I was curious, so I wanted to see how it feels. It's obviously a different discipline. It's still racing, but it's a different car, different discipline.
"I am (tempted) and I'm not. I am obviously also looking for lots of other things and there's lots of other things that do interest me outside of racing."
Vettel made his debut in F1 in 2007 with BMW before joining Toro Rosso (now RB). he graduated to Red Bull in 2009 and stayed with them until the end of the 2014 season.
Vettel spent six years at Ferrari between 2015 and 2020 and was twice runner-up, failing to achieve his childhood dream of winning with the Scuderia as his childhood idol Michael Schumacher did.
After two years at Aston Martin, Vettel retired with 53 grand prix wins to his name and 122 podiums.
