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Mercedes have been warned in opposition to signing Sebastian Vettel as Lewis Hamilton’s substitute by 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill.
4-time world champion Vettel, who retired from F1 on the finish of 2022, has been more and more linked as a candidate for the vacant 2025 Mercedes seat after admitting he’s contemplating a comeback.
Forward of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Toto Wolff conceded Vettel is “somebody you’ll be able to by no means low cost” as Mercedes weigh up their choices.
However Hill says he wouldn’t “take an opportunity” on whether or not Vettel can rediscover his finest kind, after enduring a tough couple of ultimate seasons previous to his retirement.
“He burned very brightly for an intense interval. Then, one thing occurred,” Hill advised Sky F1.
“It petered out. It bumped alongside. I by no means noticed that kind, of the youthful Vettel that was dominant.
“He was nice at the start of his profession. Then, when it received tough at Ferrari, it turned a labour.
“Would you, as a group boss, take an opportunity on him rediscovering his kind? I wouldn’t, frankly.”
Nonetheless, Craig Slater had a special view, arguing Vettel can be the right ‘stopgap’ if Andrea Kimi Antonelli isn’t fairly able to step as much as F1 subsequent yr.
Mercedes protege Antonelli is known to be the favorite to switch Hamilton, relying on how his rookie Formulation 2 season goes.
“He’s received the profile, he’s received the experience,” Slater mentioned of Vettel.
“Audi wish to launch with fanfare. He’d be a figurehead for them.
“If there’s a ‘stopgap’ thought in Toto Wolff’s head earlier than Kimi Antonelli comes alongside, what higher stopgap to have?”
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