'Wolff has a list of replacements for Hamilton at Mercedes: no Vettel'

Sebastian Vettel ended his Formula 1 career at the end of 2022. Despite that, the four-time world champion has never ruled out returning one day. Lately, for instance, he has been linked to Mercedes. However, Vettel plays no part in Mercedes' plans.

The former Ferrari driver has expressed often enough that he has not ruled out returning to Formula 1. At the end of March, Vettel said in an interview that he was in contact with Toto Wolff, although it was not about the four-time world champion's future plans.

Hamilton subsequently responded during the race weekend in Japan that he would love it if Vettel replaced him after this season. The driver who will drive for Ferrari next season thinks the German would be a great option for the team where he [Hamilton] won six World Championships.

Yet Vettel does not seem to be in the race for a Mercedes seat. Germany's Bild reports that the German has no part in the team's plans. Team boss Wolff's list is said to include three drivers, and the four-time world champion is not among them.

Of course, Max Verstappen is on this list. However, due to the chaos within Red Bull Racing, it is not 100 per cent certain that he will stay with the team. GPblog already reported that the Dutchman intends to stay if the success team stays together. Another candidate for Mercedes is Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Italian is seen as a great, young, talented driver. He is also a Mercedes junior. Finally, Fernando Alonso is also on Wolff's list.