Since the Mercedes era, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel had an epic rivalry. These champion racers made the sport so popular over the last decade. Moreover, Vettel was unstoppable from 2010 to 2013, thanks to Red Bull’s dominating car. He broke several records during that period. Moreover, the German great even equaled his childhood idol’s record for most race wins in a season. Both Michael Schumacher and Vettel had won 13 races in one season. That was a record until Max Verstappen broke it in 2022. The current three-time champion won 15 Grands Prix in 2022. Later, the Dutch racer broke his own record, winning 19 races in 2023.
Who knows how many races will Max win this year? But the big news is that Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari in 2025. And Mercedes is still without a replacement for the seven-time champion. Sebastian Vettel retired after the end of the 2022 season. He last drove for Aston Martin. In 2023, another fellow multiple-time champion, Fernando Alonso, replaced Vettel in Aston Martin. Both Vettel and Alonso have rumored links for replacing Hamilton in Mercedes. Lately, the four-time champion confirmed the rumors that he exchanged texts with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Sebastian Vettel Confirms He Had Talks With Toto Wolff
Recently, in an interview with Neue Zurcher Zeitung, a Swiss news portal, Sebastian Vettel opened up about his retirement plans. He also said that Lewis Hamilton’s announcement of moving to Ferrari did surprise him. Moreover, the former Red Bull champion mentioned that Toto Wolff did not call him. However, Seb said that he exchanged text messages with the Mercedes boss briefly. On top of that, the former arch-rival of Lewis Hamilton mentioned that joining the Silver Arrows and coming out of retirement are still not some issues he wants to deal with right now.
After all, he is just 36 years old. Hence, Seb believes he has all the time he needs. Moreover, the four-time World champion added, “So it doesn’t go away. However, my signs did not change.” Moreover, Vettel looks at life post-retirement as a period where he has learned and understood a lot. Also, Vettel mentioned he learned a lot about himself. Not racing had a big impact on Vettel. There have been a lot of new questions. But Sebastian Vettel mentioned there is no active project for him yet. Fans want to see Seb back in the grid.
Why Did Seb Decide To Retire So Soon Anyway?
Sebastian Vettel did not give many interviews post-retirement. But during one interview with Sports Illustrated, Seb said he did not quit F1 because he stopped loving it. In fact, the reason was that he wanted to spend more valuable time with his family. Moreover, it seems Vettel, like other racers, also has problems with the F1 calendar and schedule.
It takes too much amount of effort to do the job properly, said Vettel. Moreover, the four-time champion added that he has small children at home and that time won’t come back. It is true about how hectic the schedule for F1 racers can be. These drivers are on the road for almost nine months every season. At 36, the four-time champion wants to commit to his family and kids, especially during their young years.
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