Ralf Schumacher has claimed that Sebastian Vettel would be keen on returning to Formula One if he is offered a seat by Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton next year. Vettel stepped back from racing at the end of the 2022 season with four Drivers’ Championship titles and 53 race victories under his belt.
Mercedes will need to find another driver to partner George Russell next year, with Hamilton set to leave the Silver Arrows to join Ferrari on a multi-year contract. A number of potential targets have been linked with the vacancy, including the likes of Alex Albon and Mercedes junior talent Kimi Antonelli.
Schumacher, however, believes that Vettel would be an ideal choice to spearhead Mercedes in 2025 as he questioned if Russell has enough ‘charisma’ on the other side of the garage.
Speaking to Sky Germany, he said: “I’ve heard that Sebastian Vettel wants to drive again. Of course, you have to close a gap now. You saw what happened on the stock market after Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, that triggered something.
“Whether George Russell has the charisma to replace Lewis Hamilton worldwide in terms of marketing or a Sebastian Vettel as a German driver at Mercedes, is probably a bit too big for him.”
Vettel has been tentatively linked with a return to F1 in recent months, with the 36-year-old admitting last summer that he was missing the ‘competition and tension’ of the racing world.
“After such a long time in racing, I have something like an everyday life for the first time,” said Vettel in an interview with Bild.
“It took me some time to get used to it. Above all, I enjoy the time with my children. It was strange at first not to be there, but I get on well with it and follow the sport with great interest. So far, I’m doing very well with my decision, but what I miss most is the competition and the tension.”
Toto Wolff, meanwhile, was recently quizzed on the Vettel speculation and revealed that he had been in ‘regular’ contact with the former Red Bull and Ferrari man. However, he was quick to insist that the topic of Vettel returning to the grid as a Mercedes driver had not been discussed.
Speaking after the news of Hamilton’s impending move to Ferrari was confirmed, Wolff said: “I think he [Vettel] made the decision to not race anymore. We are talking on a regular basis. We also talked yesterday, but it wasn’t about driving for us in the future.”
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