Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has described Red Bull's contentious ride-height device as "outrageous" and demanded the FIA investigate it further.

The build-up to Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Austin – won by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc as Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished third – was dominated by speculation about a device found on the RB20 car.

Rival teams have suggested the device could be used to advantageously alter the car's ride height when teams are in restricted 'parc ferme' conditions.

Under the 'parc ferme' regulations, teams are prohibited from making adjustments to their setups between the end of qualifying and the start of a race. 

Constructors' championship contenders McLaren are among the teams to have questioned the device, though Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insisted it was not accessible to use when the car was fully assembled.

Mercedes chief Wolff – a long-time rival of Horner's – has now entered the debate, calling on the FIA to take action.

"My view is from a distance, what I've seen and what I've heard, it's outrageous," Wolff said. 

FIA officials were seen observing a demonstration of how the device operates in advance of Sunday's race, but Wolff is not sure those checks were adequate.  

"I really liked that, when they put this broom in the car to demonstrate the only way that the height could get changed," Wolff said.

"I wonder how long it took them to make this, and to stick it in there. I didn't know that in Formula One that we were using such devices!

"It's not good enough to say, 'that's it, we promise we're not going to do it again'.

"I cannot speak for the FIA at all. Obviously, that's something that's not been spotted for a long time. I think the leadership of the FIA is going to look at that and say, 'what are we doing with this?'"

Kimi Antonelli is relishing the opportunity of filling the "big seat" left by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula One season. 

Antontelli was officially confirmed as Hamilton's successor in August and will race alongside George Russell next year for the German-based team. 

In obtaining a seat on the grid for the upcoming season, the 18-year-old will be the first Italian driver in the competition since Antonio Giovinazzi raced for Alfa Romeo in 2021. 

Antonelli sits sixth in the drivers' championship standings in Formula Two, winning at Silverstone and the Hungaroring in July for Prema Racing. 

He then made his debut in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes, and after setting the fastest time on his first lap, crashed out on his second time around the Monza track. 

That raised questions about Mercedes' decision to replace the experience of Hamilton with the youth of Antonelli, though the latter is focused on enjoying the ride in F1. 

"Well, for sure, I'm taking a big seat," Antonelli told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy. 

"Obviously, I don't feel like I'm replacing him because he's been such a big figure, and he still is a big figure in the sport.

"So yeah, of course, it's an important seat, the one I'm taking, but I just see that I will take a Mercedes seat for next year, and I'm just going to enjoy the ride."

Throughout his career, Antonelli has been supported by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who offered some guidance to the teenager following a tough qualifying session at Silverstone – a weekend in which he went on to take his debut victory in F2.

"Well, I feel I'm very lucky to be with him. I will consider him like a second father for me," Antonelli added.

"He's always been there in the difficult moments and, of course, in the great moments.

"He's such a great supporter, and I'm really happy because next year, of course, is going to be a big year for me.

"I have a lot of things to learn and to have his support, but also the support of the whole team is going to be really important, and I'm really looking forward to that."

Antonelli will line up alongside Russell, who came through the ranks in F2 before joining Williams in 2019, and the youngster believes he can learn a lot from his soon-to-be team-mate.

"I haven't talked much with him because, obviously, he's very busy, he has a really tight schedule even during weekends, so I don't really want to bother him as well, but he's a really good driver, really fast, and I'm happy to have him next year because I can learn a lot from him," Antonelli said.

"I can learn especially on race pace because he has had good races as well, he's really good at managing the tyres, he also has speed and quality, so he's a pretty complete driver.

"It's good because next year I can learn a lot from him, and yeah, he just gave me a few pieces of advice but not much because, as I said before, he's pretty busy, and I don't really want to bother him."

Toto Wolff understands that any mistakes made by Kimi Antonelli will be placed under the microscope, even more so than future team-mate George Russell experienced at Williams. 

Antonelli, who currently sits sixth in the Formula 2 drivers' championship, was confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's replacement for Mercedes in the 2025 season last month. 

The news broke merely 24 hours after the Italian made his debut in the opening practice session at Monza, impressing in his first few laps. 

However, the 18-year-old's time behind the wheel quickly came to an end when he spun wildly entering the final corner of the track after just 10 minutes of running.

Before making the step up to Mercedes in 2022, future team-mate Russell spent three years with Williams, who found themselves as consistent back markers during his time there.

And while Wolff felt Russell's time with Williams should have been shorter, he acknowledged that his mistakes went largely unnoticed given the team's position in the constructors' championship, something that will be different for Antonelli.

“Obviously, maybe we’ve learned the lesson, George was maybe too long at Williams,” said Wolff.

“[He] did some of the mistakes at Williams where he was not so visible. Now we’ve fast-tracked Kimi, mistakes are going to be more visible because it’s in a Mercedes.

“But we’re absolutely ready for that investment, and having these two guys – full Mercedes juniors now in Formula 1 – is really great to see.

"It’s testament to the work of the junior team, looking at the minis today, the under-10s that are racing in karting.”

It took Russell 81 starts to claim his first triumph in the competition, coming in Sao Paulo two years ago. 

He has since claimed 13 podiums for Mercedes, securing a second career victory earlier this season at the Austrian Grand Prix.

And despite a nervy start to his F1 career, Russell is confident that any mistakes Antonelli makes will be crucial for his development.

“When I look back to when I was 18 years old, there’s obviously so much to learn,” Russell conceded.

“But I think, as a driver, you have the speed or you don’t have the speed, and I’m very confident Kimi has the speed.

“I think everybody on their journey is going to make mistakes, and that’s part of life and part of this sport. I’ve no doubt Kimi’s going to learn from [his FP1 at Monza].

“He’s definitely got the speed to help Mercedes get back to the front of the grid for next year onwards, and that’s why he’s going to be in the car alongside me next year.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says he and Max Verstappen have agreed to keep communications open with a view to a potential blockbuster move in the future.

Verstappen has emerged as the dominant force in Formula One since beating Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to his first drivers' championship title in 2021, winning two further crowns and leading Lando Norris in the standings this year.

However, the Dutchman has repeatedly cast doubt upon his long-term future with Red Bull, suggesting ahead of last week's Dutch Grand Prix that he was more than halfway through his F1 career.

When Hamilton confirmed he would join Ferrari for 2025 in January, Mercedes were strongly linked with a move for Verstappen amid a turbulent time for Red Bull.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner was accused – and later cleared – of sexual harassment and coercive behaviour by a female team employee, with his relationship with Verstappen reportedly becoming strained.

Wolff admits there was a moment where the deal seemed possible, though Mercedes are now expected to confirm Andrea Kimi Antonelli as George Russell's team-mate for 2025.

"Red Bull was the dominant car at the beginning of the season," Wolff told BBC Sport. "And that changed a bit. It's Max Verstappen dominant at the moment.

"And the relationships were dysfunctional. I'm not sure they are back in a great place, but it is what it is. 

"There was a moment, or there was an opportunity, to at least have conversations of what it could be in the future, and this is what we did."

Asked if Verstappen could join the Silver Arrows for 2026, when wide-ranging regulation changes take effect, Wolff responded: "Much too early. 

"For the benefit of our drivers next year, I don't want to have any conversations about 2026 or beyond, because we very much hope that the 2025 lineup will be the lineup going forward.

"We have not given each other any, let's say, timings.

"It is more like, keep the communication channel open, while knowing that his priority is to make it function with Red Bull and our priority will be to make it function with the two drivers we have."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has blamed the Silver Arrows' struggles at the Dutch Grand Prix on an upgrade to the floor of the team's car.

Mercedes enjoyed a mid-season resurgence, triumphing at three of the last four races prior to the summer break, following a difficult start to the year.

Lewis Hamilton was victorious at the British and Belgian grands prix after team-mate George Russell triumphed in Austria, but neither driver was competitive in Zandvoort when the season resumed on Sunday.

Russell finished seventh and Hamilton was one place further back after qualifying in 12th, as McLaren's Lando Norris claimed a dominant win to close the gap to drivers' championship leader Max Verstappen.

Mercedes used a new floor for the race after abandoning the planned change at Spa, and Wolff admits the team may have got things wrong.

"I think these cars are a surprise-box. We've had six podiums in a row and that doesn't look like the car three weeks ago that was first and second," he told Sky Sports.

"You can't really end up with a result like this without any major factor playing in, and that's something we need to analyse in the next few days before Monza.

"Was it because we put something on the car that didn't help? Did we engineer something into the car that wasn't good?

"Then how do you justify these swings of performance? Sometimes we looked really good this weekend and then obviously today, in terms of degradation, that was not very impressive.

"Was it a setup? Was it the track? What is it that we got wrong? Was it the floor that we put on the car? Was it all of this together?

"So, hopefully we can sort it out until Monza and become competitive again. But the swing in performance from P1-P2 and P7-P8, there's a biggie in there. It's not something that was simply a setup decision in my opinion."

Kimi Antonelli has credited Mercedes boss Toto Wolff with giving him confidence in his ability during difficult moments at the start of his Formula 2 career. 

Antonelli, who currently sits seventh in the F2 standings, has enjoyed a rapid rise through the motorsport ranks, bypassing F3 to compete in the category, although it hasn't all been smooth sailing. 

Antonelli endured a difficult start to the campaign with PREMA racing, but finally finished on the podium as he claimed his maiden F2 victory at Silverstone in July. 

He has since gone on to claim a win in Hungary, explaining that after a tough qualifying session at Silverstone, Wolff was on hand to deliver him some guidance. 

"I am also very happy with the relationship I have [with Wolff],” said Antonelli. “In difficult moments I ask him for advice and he always looks for a way to give me confidence.

"I'll give you an example. After the disappointing qualifying in Silverstone I called him because it was a bit of a tough time.

"We talked a lot and that conversation gave me back my confidence, and the next day I won and it was really nice to see him under the podium.

"When you go through difficult times, I think you come out stronger in the end, also in terms of attitude. Silverstone and Budapest confirmed it."

While Antonelli's focus has been on his F2 campaign, as well as taking part in several test sessions with Mercedes, he has remained at the centre of speculation. 

The Italian is among the favourites to replace the departing Lewis Hamilton, who is joining Ferrari for the 2025 season having spent 11 years with the team. 

But with no confirmation yet on who will join George Russell at the squad, Antonelli is keeping his feet on the ground.

"I'm very happy to be considered [for F1], but I'm not asking for anything," he commented. "At the moment my goal is to do well in Formula 2, then we'll see.

"I still see it as a dream. I did happen to think about it, but it is a passing thought. In all honesty, I can tell you that for me today it is still a dream. We'll see if it comes true."

George Russell celebrated an "amazing" win at Spa in the Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell edged out Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to triumph in a thrilling battle on Sunday.

It marked Russell's second win of the season, as he became only the second driver – after reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen – to win multiple races in 2024.

And a risky strategy that saw Russell only pit once ultimately paid off in style for Mercedes, who have won three of the last four races.

"Amazing," said Russell, who charged up from sixth on the grid.

"We definitely didn't predict this win this morning in our strategy meeting but the car was feeling really awesome.

"We made a lot of changes from Friday night and the tyres just felt great. I kept saying 'we can do the one stop'.

"[Oscar] Piastri did a really great job and also well done to Lewis – he really controlled that race and if circumstances were slightly different I am sure he would have got the victory but a one-two for the team was such an awesome result and such a great way to go into the break.

"Three wins for us now. I want another race next weekend. The team have been working so hard so well deserved for everybody."

Asked whose idea it was to go with just one pit stop, Russell said: "I was focusing a lot during the race so I will have to listen to the radio commentary back but it was a team effort.

"We rolled the dice but it was only possible because the car was feeling really great."

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was thrilled the risk paid off.

He told Sky Sports: "It’s incredible. We were nowhere. We changed a few things on the car and today we’ve been clearly ahead of everyone.

"We didn't think it was possible but at a certain stage we said, let's stay out, because we were going to finish fifth anyway, both scenarios. He stayed out and in the end he made it last."

Toto Wolff lauded praise on McLaren following their one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix, labelling them the "new benchmark" in Formula One. 

Oscar Piastri claimed his maiden triumph in the competition at the Hungaroring last weekend, with Lando Norris coming second after claiming pole in qualifying. 

McLaren have finished in the podium places in their last nine races, with their one-two in Budapest the first time they have done so since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. 

Despite Red Bull's continued dominance in both world championships, their recent performances has shown some vulnerability. For the first time since December 2021, the team has gone three races without a win.

And the British team have capitalised, now sitting 51 points behind them in the constructor's championship, with the possibility winning a first constructor's title since 1998.

Mercedes have also improved, with Lewis Hamilton winning the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time and claiming his 200th career podium in Budapest last week. 

"What we have to acknowledge is that McLaren are clearly now leading the field and by any conditions, it is a one and two," Wolff told Sky Sports. 

"That is the new benchmark. It's great that we have another team that has made that jump in being able to score first and second.

"It's good for all of us… I'm happy for them."

Mercedes currently sit fourth in the constructor's championship, 81 points behind Ferrari after a slow start to the 2024 season. 

But consecutive wins in the Austrian Grand Prix and Silverstone has shown a sign of their drastic improvements, with George Russell the prime example of that having gone out in the first qualifying session last week, but still able to finish in eighth. 

Russell's nine place improvement was his second biggest comeback in his Formula One career, only surpassed by the 12 positions he moved up at the Hungaroring in 2023. 

And Wolff believes that overcoming their current 81-point deficit to Ferrari and securing third place by the end of the season is a realistic goal for his team to achieve. 

"It's difficult to put targets out because it swings a lot with upgrade to upgrade," said Wolff. 

"But I think if you were to say what is a realistic-to-optimism today, it's probably P3 in the championship.

"Difficult to catch Red Bull and McLaren is now the benchmark, therefore I think that would be a good target. But it's not easy."

Lewis Hamilton found comfort in digging deep from "the bottom of the barrel" after doubting his ability before his historic British Grand Prix victory on Sunday.

The seven-time world champion had not triumphed in Formula One since December 2021 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but ended a 945-day wait for success with a record-extending win at Silverstone.

Mercedes driver Hamilton held off a late charge from championship leader Max Verstappen, clinching his ninth win at this event and breaking the record for the most F1 victories at a single race.

Having struggled throughout the last three years, an emotional Hamilton acknowledged the challenging period had taken its toll.

"It's so tough, I think for anyone, but the important thing is how you continue to get up and you've got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel," Hamilton told Sky Sports.

"There have definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn't feel like I was good enough or I was going to get back to where I am today.

"But the important thing is I had great people around me, continuing to support me. My team, every time I turned up and saw them putting in the effort really encouraged me to do the same thing.

"Otherwise, my fans, when I see them around the world, they have been so supportive. So a big, big thank you to everybody."

This victory marked Hamilton's final home race as a Mercedes driver, as he prepares to join Ferrari at the end of the season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff cut another emotional figure after a fitting farewell at Silverstone.

"Fantastic. You couldn't have written it better for our farewell at the British Grand Prix. That was great," Wolff said on Sky Sports.

"He had some difficult times recently. Then, some faultless driving in various conditions. 

"I really enjoyed us bouncing back. We were one and two for a long time in the dry. Performance-wise, it looks like we are coming back."

Mercedes' improvements have been impressive in recent weeks, and the team have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia (all three won by Hamilton).

That pair of victories are their only two this season, however, as Mercedes remain fourth in the championship, behind leaders Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has refused to rule out meeting with Max Verstappen to discuss a potential switch from Red Bull, though he says the Silver Arrows are also looking at other drivers.

Verstappen looks unlikely to be denied a fourth straight world championship after starting 2024 with four wins from six races, though he was beaten by Lando Norris at Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.

However, the Dutchman's future has become a subject of discussion amid a difficult period for Red Bull behind the scenes.

Team principal Christian Horner was accused and later cleared of engaging in controlling behaviour towards a female employee earlier this year, while chief technical officer Adrian Newey is stepping back from his role and will be free to join another team in early 2025.

While Verstappen's contract with Red Bull runs through 2028, reports have suggested he could follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and exercise a break clause to push through a huge move.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz has also been linked with Mercedes after seeing the Scuderia promise his 2025 seat to Hamilton, and Wolff says the team have plenty of irons in the fire.

Asked if he was keen to meet with Verstappen, Wolff said: "There's always plenty of meetings. I can't really say about the second driver. I think we've talked about the possibilities. 

"I want to be fair to these guys and not make it look like we are playing chess with humans, because we are not doing that.

"I think we want to take our time, see where Max's thinking goes, and at the same time monitor the other drivers. Carlos was very strong in Miami again and that's why we are a little bit on observation mode at the moment."

Verstappen has said the strength of teams' cars after regulation changes are implemented in 2026 will inform any decision on his future, and Wolff says the Dutchman is right to bide his time. 

"I was him I wouldn't leave, at least for 2025, but he's the leading driver, he's the top guy at the moment and that's why it's for him to take those decisions," Wolff said.

"There may not be any decisions to take, maybe everything continues like it is, but that is then also guidance for us."

Lando Norris fears Max Verstappen’s “boring” dominance of Formula One is forcing fans away.

Verstappen became the first driver this century to start the season with five consecutive pole positions after a crushing performance in qualifying for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.

The Dutchman, 26, saw off Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez by 0.322 seconds at the Shanghai International Circuit to take top spot, after he earlier raced from fourth to first in the 19-lap sprint race.

Remarkably, since Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 world championship in Abu Dhabi, the Red Bull driver has won 37 of the 48 races staged, and he is firmly on course to wrap up his fourth title in as many seasons.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has already said that Verstappen will not be caught – despite there being 20 races of this record-breaking 24-race season left.

And speaking ahead of the fifth round of the campaign in China, Norris, considered to be Verstappen’s best friend on the grid, said: “It is frustrating for people watching but it has always been like this.

“Now, we are seeing more dominance than ever, so it is never going to be the best to watch and the only exciting races have been the ones that Max is not in.”

Asked if he was concerned Verstappen’s stranglehold on the sport could be a turn-off for fans, Norris replied: “Of course it is going to be. Of course it is going be. There is no way you can say it won’t be.

“If you see the same driver winning every single time without a fight then of course it does start to become boring and that is obvious.

“You have got one of the best drivers ever in Formula One, in one of the most dominant cars and it is a combination that is deadly. If Max wasn’t there and you had two (Sergio) Perezs it wouldn’t be the case.”

Verstappen struggled for speed in the early stages of Saturday’s sprint race but he caught, and overtook, Lewis Hamilton on the ninth lap and then pulled out an eye-watering two seconds on the Mercedes driver in just one lap. He took the chequered flag 13 sec clear.

Fernando Alonso was the closest non-Red Bull finisher to Verstappen in qualifying but the Spaniard was almost half-a-second back.

Norris, 24, continued: “Am I surprised how far Red Bull is ahead? No. When you know how tricky it is to get it right, then it makes sense. They are just smart people.

“You hope teams plateau and we are starting to get there but at the same time to suddenly jump and catch them (Red Bull), it just doesn’t work like that.”

Mercedes, behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Norris’ McLaren in the constructors’ standings, are a team far removed from the one which dominated the sport.

Hamilton will start 18th in China on Sunday, with team-mate George Russell only eighth on the grid.

Norris, who qualified fourth, added: “If you look at how dominant Mercedes have been in the past, you would have expected more from them. I did, especially how much over the last few years they have said: ‘ah, now we have got it’, and they never seem to.

“We have had that, where we have hit another roadblock, so it is tricky. But they were almost more competitive last year than they are now and you just wouldn’t expect that from them. But it shows how complicated this sport can be.”

Lewis Hamilton’s troubled start to the new season took another desperate twist on Saturday after he qualified a lowly 18th for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Hamilton earlier in the day had led the sprint race in Shanghai for eight laps before he had to settle for runner-up after he was overtaken by eventual winner Max Verstappen.

But less than four hours after Hamilton’s drive to second place – a result he described as his “best in a long time” – the 39-year-old was brought crashing back down to earth when he was eliminated in the opening phase of qualifying for Sunday’s main event.

The seven-time world champion locked up at the penultimate corner on his speediest lap, and he finished in the Q1 knockout zone, leaving only RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Logan Sargeant behind him on the grid.

An exasperated Mercedes boss Toto Wolff looked to the heavens after Hamilton’s fate was confirmed.

“Sorry guys,” reported Hamilton, 39, over the radio. He finished eight tenths off the pace and half-a-second behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.

Aside from his strong showing in Saturday’s 19-lap dash to the chequered flag, this has been Hamilton’s worst-ever start to a season.

The British driver, who is leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari next year, failed to finish inside the top six at the opening four rounds of the campaign. And his bleak result in qualifying here leaves him staring at another underwhelming result.

Carlos Sainz, the man who is giving up his seat at Ferrari for Hamilton next year, brought out a red flag in Q2 after he lost control of his Ferrari.

The Spaniard dropped his rear wheels on to the gravel on the exit of the final corner, sending him backwards into the wall on the opposing side of the track.

Sainz broke his front wing but he was able to limp back to the pits.

Toto Wolff made a U-turn on his decision not to attend the Japanese Grand Prix as it would have been the “wrong choice” given Mercedes recent troubles.

The Mercedes team boss was scheduled not to be at Suzuka this weekend and the PA news agency understands that was planned before the start of the new season and not as a result of the team’s poor performance at the Australian Grand Prix.

Neither Lewis Hamilton nor George Russell finished the race in Melbourne, with Russell’s fifth-placed finish in the season-opener in Bahrain the best result for the team so far this year.

Having dominated the sport between 2014 and 2021, Mercedes have struggled since new regulations arrived the following year and have won just one race in that time.

Wolff changed his mind on attending the race in Suzuka – where Russell and Hamilton finished fourth and fifth in first practice before a rain-affected second session – and explained the call on Friday afternoon.

“I had planned not to come to Japan, because there’s so much on back in Europe, things to do,” he said.

“But then I felt not coming to Japan was the wrong choice. I think it’s important to be with the race team…it does me good also, to be close to the action.

“We’re experimenting with a few things and then being part of the team really gives me energy and I hope the other way around, too. So that’s why I decided against staying in Europe.”

Speaking on Thursday, Hamilton was asked about the tough times of both drivers not crossing the finish line last time out.

“I think it’s all about perspective. I think for us of course we’ve not started the season where we wanted to be,” he said.

“We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve seen in the past – last year for example – how things can switch with certain teams.

“I think we’ve just got to learn as much as we can, take as much as we can from the data, remain positive, continue to work hard and I always say it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get up.

“We will just continue to chase and fight and hope we can be fighting at the front at some stage.”

Wolff, too, was keen to be optimistic when asked about the struggles of the season so far.

“We are a sports team, we’ve won eight times in a row, and that hasn’t been done before. But you have periods where you struggle, like any other sports team, and you can’t win every time.

“That’s why this is a super challenge and it’s not a race, it’s not one single season, and then you come back out on top, but it’s the third one in a row.

“But I remain absolutely convinced that we will be looking back in a few years and saying that was so tough, but so important for the development of the team.”

Hamilton, who has won six of Mercedes’ seven consecutive drivers’ championships, is leaving to join Ferrari next season.

He has tipped Sebastian Vettel as an “amazing option” to take his seat at Mercedes after the four-time world champion revealed he has been considering returning to F1 after leaving in 2022.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Vettel admitted he has been talking to Wolff – who was full of praise for the former Red Bull and Ferrari man, before confirming he has whittled down the options for 2025 to two or three drivers.

“Sebastian is someone you can never discount,” he said.

“His track record is phenomenal, and sometimes maybe taking a break is also good to evaluate what’s important for you and re-find your motivation.

“We haven’t taken the decision yet and it is not something we plan to do in the next few weeks, the driver market is very dynamic and some of the really good guys are about so sign for the other teams.”

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has hinted he could be tempted to make a Formula One comeback after revealing he has been talking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Mercedes are searching for a new driver for 2025 and beyond after Lewis Hamilton announced in February he was quitting for Ferrari after 11 years with the Silver Arrows.

Vettel, who won his four drivers’ titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, left F1 at the end of the 2022 campaign after six years at Ferrari and two with Aston Martin.

Now, though, the 36-year-old has suggested he could return to the sport after speaking to a number of team bosses up and down the paddock.

“I am speaking to Toto. I don’t know if that qualifies as Mercedes, but about other things,” the German told Sky Sports News.

“I’m talking to a lot of people because I know them, but not very specific. I mean obviously it does cross my mind, I do think about it, but it’s not the main thought.

“I have three kids at home, it’s busy every day, so there’s a lot of other thoughts I have. There’s ideas that I have.

“Events that I’m planning going forwards, so I did speak to a lot of other team principals as well, and not only about racing. There’s thoughts, but nothing concrete at the minute.”

A seat at a top team could help Vettel make a decision to return to the grid and he admits he was caught out by Hamilton’s decision to swap Mercedes for Ferrari after winning six world championships with the team.

“I was surprised, like I guess most of us were,” he said.

“But it is exciting. Obviously he’s looking for a new challenge and it will be different to see him in red, in a different colour.”

Meanwhile, Vettel has been testing a different kind of race car having spent time in the Porsche contender for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

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“Maybe, I don’t know yet,” he replied when asked if he could make his first appearance in the famous endurance race this year.

“I’ve been testing. I was curious, so I wanted to see how it feels. It’s obviously a different discipline. It’s still racing, but it’s a different car, different discipline.

“I am (tempted) and I’m not. I am obviously also looking for lots of other things and there’s lots of other things that do interest me outside of racing.”

Guenther Steiner has warned Red Bull their dominance of Formula One will end just as Mercedes’ did.

Red Bull have won the last three constructors’ championships with Max Verstappen completing a hat-trick of drivers’ titles, in the process breaking the strangleholds imposed by Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton in previous years.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton has endured a miserable start to the new season with his car lasting just 17 laps of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix as team-mate George Russell crashed out to leave the Brackley and Brixworth-based team 71 points adrift of Red Bull after just three races and pile the pressure on boss Toto Wolff.

But asked about their difficulties, former Haas team principal Steiner said: “Obviously they are struggling a little bit at the moment. For me, they are a good team, I think they’re a good team. It’s just like it’s competition.

“Mercedes was dominating for a long time and you cannot always be dominating, you shouldn’t expect that. Now we say Red Bull is dominating – it will come to an end, like Mercedes came to an end.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘Mercedes is not doing well’ – Mercedes is still in the top four at the moment or top five, they just need to do a little bit better. But it’s how competitive this sport is and you cannot take anything for granted.

“Obviously Toto would love to dominate the sport forever, but nothing is forever. I think it’s good for the sport and shows also how quickly it goes up and down.

“Mercedes is still doing OK, they’re still scoring points. Sometimes you forget there are 10 teams and not only three which are allowed to win. I think all 10 should be allowed to win and those are the things you learn when you are outside of the sport like I am now.”

Hamilton, who is in the midst of his worst start to a campaign, will join Ferrari ahead of the 2025 campaign, leaving a huge gap to plug.

Steiner, speaking after being announced as an ambassador for May’s Miami Grand Prix, was asked if Carlos Sainz – winner in Australia just 16 days after undergoing surgery for appendicitis – would be at the top of his list if he was in charge at Red Bull or Mercedes.

He replied: “Toto has no urgency to sign anybody because everybody is waiting until that seat is filled, but I’m sure a lot of people are speaking to Carlos at the moment.”