Sebastian Vettel has become the focus for fevered speculation about the German’s return to Formula One. He recently admitted having a conversation with Mercedes’ boss Toto Wolff following the bombshell news that Lewis Hamilton was leaving for Ferrari next season.

Having tested a Porsche Le Mans hypercard last week, Sebastian was asked about his thoughts on a future return to the pinnacle of motorsport. “Of course you think about it and flirt with it,” Vettel admitted but refused to drawn on whether he was fully committed to the cause.

 

 

 

Vettel teases “plans for F1”

The German teased his future F1 involvement when saying:“I still have some plans for F1 this year. We’ll see if it works out…”

Now in his second year outside the cockpit of an F1 machine, Vettel aged 36, knows the clock is ticking for him to make a return – not because of age but merely because the more time elapses it becomes difficult to rejoin at the top and compete for significant honours.

Of course there is a seat available at Mercedes next year and it would seem the team will employ an experienced driver on a short term contract. This allows their junior ace driver, Kimi Antonelli, to gain experience in F2.

Whether Fernando Alonso would leave Aston Martin who are nailed on to offer him another two year deal, is unlikely at present. Aston Martin are just a point behind Mercedes after three rounds this year, and if Lance Stroll delivers his share of the points, the Silverstone team could easily beat the silver arrows in a head to head in 2024.

Ferrari ‘secret weapon’ exposed

 

 

 

Mercedes look for senior driver

Carlos Sainz will also be looking for a two year or longer contract and so a short term fling with Mercedes is most probably not the right move for the Spaniard either.

This leaves an opportunity for the four times world champion  to state a claim for another year’s swan song, driving the W16 and his ex-race engineer from Aston Martin believes Sebastian will indeed make a return to the sport he once ruled with his number one finger salute.

Bernie Collins who worked as a strategy engineer for Aston Martin and Vettel shared her insights into his possible F1 return when speaking on The Fast and The Curious podcast.

“I think he would [come back]. I think that all of them have that drive within them, and all of them have been doing this for the past X number of years,” said Collins. She argues the F1 drivers have known little else but racing since as young boys they were taken kart racing each week.

Red Bull decision made on Max Verstappen

 

 

 

Vettel’s ex-engineer predicts F1 come back

This leaves a huge hole in their lives when they retire form Formula One.

“So, he stepped away [from F1] less than I did [sic], a year and a half ago. Unless you very quickly fill that void, I imagine for all of them, there’s that sort of slight pullback.”

It seems the Vettel opportunity to return might be Mercedes specific given their need for a short term experienced driver and Collins admits if offered one last hurrah in her old job, she’d jump at the chance.

“Thinking of me, when you think if someone said, ‘Oh, you can get on the pit wall for strategy and do one more race’, I’d probably do it.

Max fuels RBR exit rumours in Dutch media

 

 

 

Vettel one year swan song?

“So if that’s me, and I had only been doing strategy for eight years, he’s going to be like someone says, ‘Oh, you can get in this reasonably fast car for a year’ he’d be like, ‘Yeah.’”

The problem for Vettel is Mercedes are not performing well since the introduction of the new ground effect cars and this year the Brackley team may suffer its lowest championship finishing position since Rosberg and Schumacher could only manage P5 back in 2012.

The team have won just one Grand Prix in two years when George Russell cleaned up at the Sprint weekend in Sau Paulo 2022.

As Collins explains, Vettel probably retired early from F1 given the lack of a competitive car he had at Aston Martin since leaving Ferrari. 

Hamilton ‘hypocrisy’ questioned by fellow F1 driver

 

 

 

Sebastian retired earlier than necessary

“I think, unfortunately, he was racing in Aston Martin, the car wasn’t performing as expected, he was trying to prioritise his home life, his kids, stuff like that – very important.

“So I think, if you’re then given an opportunity to get into a car that you know is going to hit the ground running.”

By her own analogy it is questionable whether Vettel would be motivated to join Mercedes, particularly if his old Silverstone team fronted by Fernando Alonso can hold them at bay in this year’s championship. 

With over half the grid out of contract this year, there are other experienced drivers who could do a stop gap role for Mercedes in 2025. In all probability one of the Haas F1 drivers will make way for Oliver Bearman next year and on current form that would be Kevin Magnussen. 

Ferrari “political” decision called into question

 

 

 

Perez option possible

The Sergio Perez issue is not yet resolved. Now in his fourth year at Red Bull its only a matter of time before the team call time on the Mexican’s Milton Keynes employment. Perez has been hounded by the media the entire time he has been Verstappen’s team mate for apparently failing to deliver the potential his car demonstrates in the hands of Max.

Yet Checo has made a decent start to the season. He has reached Q3 in each of the first three rounds and finished runner up twice to his team mate in Bahrain and Jeddah. The question mark came in Australia, when Max retired with mechanical issues and Perez was no where to be seen to pick up the pieces.

In Sergio’s favour is that he quickly came to the defence of his team principal when the Red Bull HR saga exploded inside the paddock. 

Insider: Wolff big deception in full swing

 

 

 

Perez backs Horner

“I think he not only has my support, but I think the entire team is behind him. He is, of course, a very important person within our organisation, and the work he has done over the years, that goes without saying. Christian is a key figure in our organisation,” Perez claimed in Bahrain.

This was in stark contrast to the claims made by his team mate who credited not Horner, but Helmut Marko and Didi Mateschitz as the sole architects of the Red Bull Racing empire.

Perez also called out Verstappen’s father who had claimed Christian Horner was tearing the F1 team apart. Checo made it clear this was “a lie”, something Max was quick to deny.

Huge Haas F1 break through

 

 

 

Vettel now calls on Horner for “clarity

Sebastian Vettel has this past week been eyeing a return to top level motorsport having tested in a Porsche WEC series hypercar. The former four times Formula One drivers’ champion retired from the sport last season and has since shown little interest in returning to competition until now.

Yet despite Vettel having tested a car capable of winning Le Mans, the speculation quickly returned to the German’s future F1 aspirations. With Hamilton leaving for Ferrari next year, there’s been reports Mercedes will look to sign an experienced driver on a short term deal, while they wait for junior star, Kimi Antonelli now in F2, to get the experience he needs before promoting him to F1…. READ MORE