Lewis Hamilton backed Sebastian Vettel’s return to F1 on behalf of Mercedes when he moved to Ferrari at the end of this season.
Vettel, a four-time world champion who retires at the end of 2022, has already revealed he is in talks with teams including Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. Speaking before this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton expressed support for Vettel returning to Mercedes.
“I would like Seb to come back and I think it would be a great option for the team,” he said. “He’s a German driver, he’s a multiple world championship winner, he’s a guy with great values that keeps the team moving forward. I’d be happy to have him back.”
Asked if he had any opinion on Mercedes’ decision, Hamilton laughed and admitted: “Zero.” But he wanted the team to pursue a driver who was similarly committed to the ideals the seven-time champion had put at the heart of his time at Mercedes, including the pursuit of diversity and inclusivity within the team.
“The only thing I really care about is that the team hires people who have integrity and are aligned with the team and the team’s direction,” he said. “Someone who is caring and can work with great people and continue to elevate them. There are a lot of great people on this team.”
Vettel is among several options the team is currently considering, including an attempt to lure world champion Max Verstappen away from Red Bull, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, and prospects himself. This includes consideration for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a junior driver.
Vettel, who won four championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 before spending six years with Ferrari and two years with Aston Martin, admitted earlier this week that he was considering a return to F1. Ta.
“I’m talking to Toto. I don’t know if it qualifies as a Mercedes, but about other things,” he said. “I’m talking because I know a lot of people, but that’s not the case.” [about anything] Very specific.So clearly [a potential return] It crosses my mind and I think about it, but it’s not the main thought.
“I’ve talked to a lot of other team principals, not just about the race. We have ideas, but nothing concrete at the moment.”
The German driver has also recently tested a Porsche 963 sports car that competes in the World Endurance Championship, and Vettel may be considering driving one at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Hamilton’s teammate George Russell also said he would be happy to welcome Vettel along for the ride. “Sebastian is a great guy, a four-time world champion, but his personality is forgotten on the grid,” he said. “It’s important that all 20 of the best drivers in the world compete for race wins and championships. So I’m really happy and I wouldn’t mind having anyone as my teammate.”
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Mr Russell also claimed in Japan that Alonso had gone too far in causing a high-speed crash caused by a British driver at last month’s Australian Grand Prix, with Alonso lying sideways in the middle of the track in the crashed car. He claimed that he remained seated. Melbourne. Russell insisted the FIA was completely right to penalize the Spanish driver.
Russell was chasing Alonso in the final stages of the race, but the Spaniard slowed before accelerating again on the straight approaching Turn 6. Speaking in Japan, Russell admitted that he was adjusting the settings on his steering wheel at the time as he did not expect Alonso to slow down on the straight, and when he looked up he was almost on top of Alonso. . He was forced to take a sharp turn at 150 mph, hitting a wall and bouncing into the center of the track. As a result, he urgently requested that the race be stopped, fearing a collision with another car.
“All drivers are open to doing anything: changing lines, braking early, powering through corners,” he said. “If you start braking in the middle of the straight, downshifting and accelerating, then upshifting again and braking again heading into the corner, I think it’s beyond the realm of adjusting the line.
“I was actually looking at the steering wheel on that straight, as I had been on every lap before, and when I looked up 100 meters before the corner I realized I was right behind Fernando, not just half a second behind him. I noticed. As you know, there are a lot of things we have to do while driving. We can add tactics to this or be allowed to brake in the middle of the straight to gain a tactical advantage. It might be a step too far.”
Alonso was later penalized by the FIA for erratic driving, but insisted at Suzuka that he did not believe he had done anything wrong. “We were a bit surprised by the penalty in Melbourne, but there’s nothing we can do,” he said. “There is no obligation to run 57 laps the same way. Sometimes we go at a slower pace to save fuel, save tires, save battery. Sometimes we go slower into corners or some sectors of the track. and gives DRS to the car behind. The second car behind has a faster pace.”
