Toto Wolff’s Sebastian Vettel Plans Bad for the Sport, F1 Pundit Advocates for New Blood

Recently, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff admitted that he “can never discount” Sebastian Vettel as a prospect for the 2025 Mercedes seat. Lewis Hamilton said that he would “love” to have Vettel lead the Silver Arrows after his departure to Ferrari. George Russell too approved of having the four-time champion as his teammate, saying that F1 has “missed his personality”. Though he has the backing of Mercedes’ major stakeholders, his potential F1 return is being considered detrimental to the sport.

Vettel is one of the most loved F1 drivers. Like Lewis Hamilton, his presence in the F1 world was much more than his elite racing capabilities. But, in 2022, his sudden retirement came as a shock to everybody. He quit Aston Martin and the pinnacle of motorsport at 35. While a lot of analysts and fans believe that he has more racing years left in him, his return could block potential rookies from advancing in their careers.

“I don’t think Seb was performing at his highest level at the end of his career,” said host Christian Hewgill on ‘The Fast and the Curious’ podcast. “I wouldn’t want Seb to tarnish his legacy (by returning).”

“You also want the sport to move on,” said Betty Glover, echoing her co-host’s stance. “You want to bring the younger people… not necessarily an inexperienced guy in the Mercedes seat. If you’re bringing an amazing driver like Sebastian Vettel, then you are not allowing space for the new people.”

With rookies like Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman, Jack Doohan, and Felipe Drugovich still waiting for their big call-up, Vettel could indeed hit the brakes on their F1 careers. But if the German driver chose to follow up on his Porsche 963 test, the World Endurance Championship (WEC) would heartily welcome him.

Porsche gives key update on Sebastian Vettel’s WEC decision

In the last week of March, Sebastian Vettel tested Porsche’s WEC challenger – the 963, in Spain. He drove 118 laps around Motorland Aragon, totaling over 361 miles in two double stints. Amid rumors of the 4x champ’s return to F1, Urs Kuratle, Boss of Porsche’s WEC team has given a key update.

“We have read in the media that he is in talks with several people,” Kuratle told Motorsport-Total.com. “But we only know that he has not yet decided what he will do. We also do not know if he will run again, where and when. That will be known in the coming days or weeks. So we also don’t know if he will race with us in the future,” he further continued.

Kuratle also mentioned how effective Vettel’s nuanced feedback had been during the test. If Vettel still has it in him to secure podiums and wins, his comeback could be welcomed like Fernando Alonso’s.