Sebastian Vettel’s brother Fabian has his doubts about the Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari combination, feeling they “don’t really fit together”.
Hamilton is now gearing up for one final season with Mercedes before embarking on a fresh and exciting career chapter, as the dream move to Ferrari finally becomes reality.
After years of speculation, the historic deal was announced ahead of the F1 2024 campaign that Hamilton will become a Ferrari driver next year, replacing Carlos Sainz as team-mate to Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton will look to do what four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel was unable to do when he swapped Red Bull for Ferrari, that being to bring title-winning days back to Maranello, with Ferrari’s most recent title being the 2008 Constructors’ crown.
However, Vettel’s brother senses that Hamilton and Ferrari are more of a personality clash than perfect match.
“Lewis’ personality and the Ferrari team, as I experienced it as Seb’s follower, don’t really fit together,” said Fabian on Sky.
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Hamilton’s impending Ferrari switch means there is a huge vacancy coming up at eight-time Constructors’ Champions Mercedes, with Sebastian’s name naturally brought up in discussions over potential candidates, especially considering Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is not ruling out a “bold” choice.
The 53-time Grand Prix winner retired after the 2022 campaign, but while admitting there will be a certain “appeal” about an F1 comeback, his brother Fabian doubts it is on the cards, even if “I am in no position where I can speak for Sebastian”.
He continued: “I don’t doubt a certain desire, the appeal and his abilities, but it wouldn’t fit. Sebastian left at the time for a different purpose.”
Sebastian grew increasingly vocal regarding environmental and sustainability concerns in the latter years of his F1 career, often speaking out and drawing F1’s attention to issues he saw, as well as running various initiatives such as the construction of bee and insect hotels in Austria and Japan respectively.
Wolff revealed recently that he remains in “regular” contact with him, though the topic of a potential F1 return to fill the Hamilton-shaped void has not been brought up.
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher, Wolff said: “I think he made the decision to not race anymore. We are talking on a regular basis.
“We’ve also talked yesterday, but it wasn’t about driving for us in the future.”
Various other drivers have been linked with that Mercedes seat, such as Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Mercedes’ junior hot prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
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