F1 News: Toto Wolff on Sebastian Vettel Joining Mercedes: “He Still Has Speed”; Doesn’t Rule Out Veteran’s Grand Return

Lewis Hamilton is leaving for Ferrari and Toto Wolff has a seat to fill. The Mercedes team boss is under pressure as he loses his star driver to their biggest rivals on the grid. Hamilton brought in a lot of value for the team along with the needed points, but in 2023, things were not working for either of them.

But Toto Wolff still believes in his team and has spoken about bringing Sebastian Vettel out of retirement to join the Silver Arrow. In a recent interview with Sky Germany, the Austrian team boss discussed Vettel’s interview with NZZ. Wolff told Sky Germany, “Sebastian is a great guy and a giant of this sport. I think he still has the speed.”

There have been rumors about Vettel filling in for Hamilton, but Wolff is yet to make a decision. Keeping fans updated he said, “After three or four races, we have to decide whether to go for youth or experience. Or do we optimise in the short term and give the youngsters more time to gain experience?”

F1 has become a sport that is dominated by younger drivers like Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Even George Russell scored a race win in 2023 while Hamilton couldn’t deliver.

Read More – Lewis Hamilton’s “Gut Feeling” and Closeness With Frederic Vasseur Led to Abrupt Exit From Mercedes

Nevertheless, considering that Vettel has years of experience on the track, it makes him a viable option, otherwise, Mercedes has Kimi Antonelli waiting to move out of the junior leagues and bring youth to Mercedes.

With a decision yet to be made, all eyes are on Toto Wolff’s next move. But does Vettel want to return to F1 in the first place?

Martin Brundle digs into Sebastian Vettel’s desires to return to F1

Back in September 2023, Sebastian Vettel sat down with Martin Brundle from Sky Sports as they spoke about the 4-time world championship winner’s retirement. In the conversation, the topic of racers returning to the sport came up and to that, Vettel said, “I can’t say no because that, you don’t know. I think it’s something that, if you asked all of them, probably some of them would have said no, and some of them, I don’t know. Um, but in the event, all of them, in the end, all of them came back.”

He explained that all the drivers who returned to the sport were uncertain if they would make their way back into F1. And with that comes the uncertainty of if he would do the same. It was when Vettel said, “But it will depend on the challenge that, situation,” is when it felt like if Toto Wolff pushed into this, the German driver would consider leaving retirement. Racing Lewis Hamilton at the end of both their careers could be a fun challenge for Red Bull World Champion, and maybe that is the motivation he needs.

That being said, do you think Sebastian Vettel will make a return to fill in the hole that Lewis Hamilton left in Mercedes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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