Sebastian Vettel snubs Max Verstappen and ex-teammate when naming one driver he wants to win F1 championship

Sebastian Vettel has named the one driver he most wants to win the 2025 F1 Drivers' Championship.

Four-time world champion Vettel retired from the sport in 2022 after nearly 15 seasons.

Since retirement, the 37-year-old has not been tempted to return to F1 despite high-profile vacancies at Mercedes and his former team Red Bull.

Instead, Vettel watched from afar in 2024 as Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive Drivers' Championship - matching his own record that he set between 2010 and 2013.

Now, in a new interview with BBC's Sportsworld after the Australian Grand Prix, the German named who he wants to win the title.

"My fingers are crossed [for Lewis Hamilton]," he said.

"Obviously, I have raced him for a long time. We get along really well. And he's by far the most outspoken driver on the grid at the minute [on social issues].

"His on-track skills don't need to be repeated - the numbers and statistics speak for themselves.

"It's great to see that he's still on the grid, and he still has that influence and uses it in a positive manner. So naturally, my fingers are crossed to win the championship."

Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race (Image: Getty)

Vettel was also asked about Verstappen's chances of winning the Drivers' Championship for a record-setting fifth consecutive time.

And the German revealed that he was actually in contact with Verstappen last season when he was chasing another record.

"It might be [Max's hardest year]," he stated.

"I was in contact with him when he was on the brink of breaking the record for most wins after each other.

"I was at nine and then he equalled, and then I told him, 'You are better than me, you'll beat me'.

"He said, 'Ah, I'm not sure'. And then he did 10 [wins]. If anyone can do it, he can do it with the championships in Red Bull."

Finding the grip! 🙌

A great getaway for Max Verstappen at the very start of the race 💨#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/VbTH1FaowI

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2025

Verstappen finished in second place in a wet-weather race in Australia, with his fourth place in China perhaps a better representation of exactly how quick the Red Bull car is at this point in the season.

Hamilton, meanwhile, finished 10th in Australia, before then winning the sprint race in China. However, his Ferrari would be disqualified from sixth position in the race proper due to excessive skid block wear.

McLaren's Lando Norris currently leads the championship, having picked up 44 points from the opening two race weekends.