Toto Wolff heats up F1 feeling: will Vettel be in the Mercedes next year? – Car –

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff does not rule out Sebastian Vettel’s commitment to Ferrari after its end. “Looking ahead, we are primarily committed to loyalty to our current Mercedes drivers, but of course we cannot ignore this development,” 48 years from Vienna stressed Tuesday.

Wolff praised Vettel as a great driver and a great personality. The 32-year-old German was “an asset to every Formula 1 team,” said team boss Mercedes. Ferrari will end its collaboration with the former series world champion after this season. Neither party could agree to a new contract. Vettel has been driving for Scuderia since 2015.

At Mercedes, contracts with six-time world champion and defending champion Lewis Hamilton (35 / GBR) and Valtteri Bottas (30 / FIN) also expire. The last German driver to date with the German factory team was Nico Rosberg. The now 34-year-old resigned immediately after winning his first world title in late 2016.

A Hamilton / Vettel driver pairing would be a dream scene for many and would give a big boost to the core motorsport class, which was also hit hard by the aftermath of the Corona crisis. Or does Lewis Hamilton end up leaving Mercedes?

For TV expert and former racing driver Marc Surer, a change from Sebastian Vettel after his announced retirement from Ferrari to Mercedes would be “a stroke of luck” for the German Formula 1 racing team. “A four-time world champion German that is available to put in your car is great, “the 68-year-old Swiss told online portal web.de in an interview (Tuesday).

If Vettel were to become world champion in a Mercedes again, “from a marketing perspective, that would be the best thing that could happen. From a Mercedes perspective, it would say,” Bid immediately, “Surer said. Vettel won the last of his four titles to date at Red Bull 2013.

This year it is planned to start driving in early July, but the coronavirus pandemic could cause more disruptions.