"You can never discount the name" - Toto Wolff addresses potential of Sebastian Vettel as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has claimed Sebastian Vettel was flirting with the idea of a comeback and no one can discount him joining the team as Lewis Hamilton's replacement.

The four-time world champion retired from the sport at the end of the 2022 season and hasn't been racing competitively ever since. However, he recently hinted that he might come back to racing if he felt a strong urge and has been in contact with Wolff.

Speaking with Sky Sports, the Mercedes team boss confirmed that he and Sebastian Vettel share a 'long' friendship and have discussed the idea of a potential comeback. He said:

"With Seb, I have a friendship that goes back a long time, and we are talking about everything. Sebastian is flirting with the idea of going back to racing, whether it is with Porsche in Le Mans, which is a great program, or whether it is coming back into Formula 1 - and I try to be a sparring partner and tell him what I think.

"And clearly you can never discount the name for our team as well."

In a recent interview with Sky Sports News, Sebastian Vettel had opened up about his conversations with Wolff, stating that they focused on multiple topics apart from racing.

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Mercedes team boss chimes in on the possibility of signing Sebastian Vettel

Toto Wolff stated that Sebastian Vettel had a 'great track record' and him replacing Lewis Hamilton for 2025 could not be 'discounted'.

In the team principal's press conference in Suzuka, Wolff said:

"Sebastian is someone that you can never discount. I think his track record is phenomenal. And sometimes maybe taking a break is also good to re-evaluate what's important for you and refine your motivation.

"And it's not something that we plan to do in the next few weeks. I know that the driver market is very dynamic. We want to continue to have these discussions and keep the options open."

There is a shortage of options for the former world champions and many drivers, including Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Antonelli, are reportedly on the team's radar. It will be quite a shock if the German outfit goes for Sebastian Vettel over the likes of the above-mentioned names.

Wolff also added that it's "much too early" for them to commit to a driver, adding that the next few months will give them "more clues" on whether to target youth or experience.