Report: Vettel no candidate to replace Hamilton at Mercedes
Former world champion Sebastian Vettel is not among drivers the Mercedes team is considering as successor of Lewis Hamilton from next season onwards, Germany's Bild paper reported on Friday.
Bild said that Vettel was not on a shortlist of three drivers the Formula One team was considering.
Vettel, 36, won four world titles with Red Bull 2010-2013 and retired after the 2022 season. The German has not ruled out a comeback lately, and he may still be a candidate for other teams.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had earlier Friday confirmed at the Japanese Grand Prix that they were looking at a maxiumum three candidates, and said that Vettel "is someone you can never discount" with his "phenomenal" track record.
But Wolff also said: "We haven't taken the decision yet and it's not something that we plan to do in the next few weeks."
Triple world champion Max Verstappen appears to be Wolff's top target but the Dutchman is contracted at Red Bull until 2028, and their team principal Christian Horner told Sky TV on Friday that Verstappen is "100%" staying.
Wolff also said that half of the grid will be out of contract after the season in a "very dynamic" driver market.
Carlos Sainz has to leave Ferrari for the arriving Hamilton, former world champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin has been named a potential Mercedes candidate, and so has their 17-year-old academy driver Kimi Antonelli.
"Some of the really good guys they are about to sign for some of the other teams, and we want to continue to have these discussions and keep the options open," Wolff said.
"It's much too early for us to commit to a driver whether very young or whether very experienced - I don't want to say old. The next few months will give us more clues."
Wolff had originally not planned to come to Japan but changed his mind because of Mercedes' rocky start into the season.
The team dominated F1 between 2014 and 2020 before Verstappen pipped Hamilton for his first title in controversial fashion at the 2021 season ender in Abu Dhabi, and Mercedes have struggled ever since.
