© Sebastian Kawka for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix ltd.
Toto Wolff says he does have a shortlist of potential Lewis Hamilton replacements, and says Sebastian Vettel “is someone that you can never discount”.
Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was asked if he has ‘whittled down in his mind’, the candidates to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025, to “one, two, three drivers”.
Wolff said he did, but when asked if he can give a number, he simply said: “No.”
Toto was then asked to comment on the possibility of Sebastian Vettel returning to Formula 1 with Mercedes.
“Sebastian is someone that you can never discount,” the Austrian said.
“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.
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“As I said before, I think we haven’t taken the decision yet. And it’s not something that we plan to do in the next few weeks.
“I know that the driver market is very dynamic. Some of the really good guys are about to sign for some of the other teams. We want to continue to have these discussions and keep the options open.
“But at that stage, I think it’s much too early for us to commit to a driver, whether very young or whether very experienced… I don’t want to say old – very experienced.
“The next few months will give us more clues,” Wolff concluded.
