Sebastian Vettel is back in the spotlight in F1. Rumors of him replacing Lewis Hamilton are swirling in the F1 community. The 4-time champion admitted recently that he has had chats with Toto Wolff but it wasn’t regarding the vacant Mercedes seat. But if he does make a return with the Silver Arrows, his to-be teammate George Russell has already approved of the potential move.

Vettel recently said that he would consider a return to F1 but it “depends on the package” that a team offers. Though Mercedes has been subpar since the 2022 regulations were implemented, 2026 could be the turning point with new regulations coming in. Will the retired German be the answer to their problems? While that remains to be seen, George Russell is already ready to accept him as a teammate.

“Yeah, I mean, Sebastian’s a great person and he’s a four-time world champion and for sure his personality is missed on the grid,” Russell said in the Thursday press conference in Japan.

The Mercedes Racer also added, “And I think it’s important that we have the best 20 drivers in the world all competing for race wins and championships……. And yeah, as I said, we’ll welcome anybody.” With Russell prepped to take on the Vettel challenge, all that remains is the 4-time champion’s final decision. That mystery too could be close to being solved.

Sebastian Vettel is “having thoughts” about a potential F1 return

Sebastian Vettel had a wonderful F1 career and his retirement came as a shock to fans. 4 championships with Red Bull, multiple wins with Ferrari, and a couple of surprise podiums with Aston Martin – the achievement graph went down, but not the caliber of the racer. A return to F1 could help show the graph witnessing a sudden spike.

“I’m having thoughts that are crossing my mind and thinking about [a return],” Vettel told BBC Radio 5 Live, “But at this stage, my mindset generally hasn’t changed so it really depends on what’s coming up.” When questioned specifically about Mercedes, Vettel added, “I’m following the sport and at the minute there’s quite a lot of movement when it comes to drivers, driver market, and so on.”

Like Fernando Alonso’s F1 return, Vettel too can bring some surprises for the young F1 drivers. With him back, there would be 4 world champions on the grid – a sight for sore eyes. Are you excited to see Vettel back on the grid? Let us know in the comments.

Read More: “I Am (Tempted)”: Sebastian Vettel Reveals Plans of Le Mans Entry