SUZUKA – According to the head of the Mercedes F1 team, it is still too early to decide who will replace British driver Lewis Hamilton next season.
However, Toto Wolff added that German Sebastian Vettel could also be a potential candidate.
“Some really good guys are going to sign with other teams. We want to continue discussions and keep all options open. It’s still too early to sign a driver, whether very young or experienced. Sebastian is someone, who you can never leave out of the discussion,” Wolff said according to the DPA agency.
Hamilton announced a transfer to Ferrari at the beginning of 2024. He has driven for Mercedes since 2013 and won six of his seven world championship titles with the German team.
Wolff primarily wanted to recruit three-time world champion Max Verstappen. However, the Dutchman is under contract at Red Bull until 2028 and team boss Christian Horner has confirmed that Verstappen will stay.
Vettel won four world titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 and will retire after the 2022 season. However, the German has not ruled out his return recently.