Schumacher eyes Vettel as his Mercedes successor

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has urged his Mercedes GP team to do all they can to lure current champion Sebastian Vettel to replace him when he calls time on his own career.

Sebastian Vettel, at 23, became Formula one's youngest world champion last year when he won the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi.

BERLIN // Formula One legend Michael Schumacher has urged his Mercedes GP team to go all out to lure current world champion and fellow German driver Sebastian Vettel to the team in the future.

Vettel became Formula One's youngest world champion when the 23-year-old clinched the title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November for the Red Bull-Renault team.

"Very hypothetically speaking it would be absolutely unreasonable if Mercedes did not try to find out if Sebastian would like to drive for us in the future," Schumacher, the seven-time world champions, told Bild newspaper.

Schumacher, 42, had a disappointing return to Formula One last season after a three-year absence. In his 19 races with Mercedes his best result was fourth place in Spain, Turkey and South Korea.

"Because my own future [as Formula One driver] is relatively calculable," added Schumacher, who has another two years left on his contract with Mercedes. "Mind you, I am speaking purely theoretically. I am not saying it is like that."

He said he also met Vettel socially, away from the races, and the two drivers, as well as Norbert Haug, the Mercedes motorsport vice president, were friends.

"It is no secret that Sebastian is at our place sometimes. We celebrate together, we eat dinner sometimes. There is a long friendship there between him, me, Norbert, us."