Tokyo

Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that Sebastian Vettel was 'flirting' with the idea of returning to the grid, as a seat remains for the taking in the German team with Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari next season. 

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Wolff's statement comes a day after Hamilton threw his weight behind Vettel as the potential candidate to replace him. 

"With Seb I have a friendship that goes back a long time, and we are talking about everything," Wolff told Sky Sports on the sidelines of the Japanese Grand Prix. 

"Sebastian is flirting with the idea of going back racing, whether it is with Porsche in Le Mans, which is a great programme, or whether it is coming back into Formula 1 - and I try to be a sparring partner and tell him what I think."

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Wolff added that Vettel was someone that you can never discount and that he remained a viable choice for the seat in the Mercedes paddock.

"And clearly you can never discount the name for our team as well. His track record is phenomenal and sometimes maybe taking a break is also good to re-evaluate what's important for you and re-find your motivation," said Wolff. 

"As I said before, we haven't taken the decision yet and it's not something that we plan to do in the next few weeks."

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Also read | 'I would love him...': Lewis Hamilton reveals who he'd want to replace him at Mercedes next season

Vettel- Wolff exchange texts 

Last month, Vettel confirmed that he was indeed exchanging texts with Wolff over running back the clock. 

“I was surprised by this change [Hamilton to Ferrari]. The Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff didn’t call me, but we briefly exchanged text messages," said Vettel. 

"But so far it’s not an issue for me, also because at 36 I still have all the time in the world. So it’s not going away."

Also read | Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Vettel exchange texts amid Hamilton's replacement search

Vettel retired from F1 in 2022 with 53 victories to his name and still remains one of the biggest crowd-pullers the sport has ever seen. He recently tested the Porsche 963 sports car that is currently competing in the World Endurance Championship, leading to speculations that the German might compete at Le Mans 24 Hours, scheduled to be held later this year. 

(With inputs from agencies)