Mercedes should enter contract negotiations with Sebastian Vettel at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with the four-time world champion set to be present in the paddock in Italy. Express Sport readers picked out the Silver Arrows as the best possible landing spot for the 36-year-old, who is contemplating a return to F1.

Vettel called time on his F1 career at the end of the 2022 campaign following an underwhelming two-year stint with Aston Martin, but a return to racing with Porsche’s World Endurance Championship programme has been followed by rumours linking him with the soon-to-be-vacant second Mercedes seat.

In a survey of 3,288 Express Sport readers, 36 per cent believed that Mercedes would be the ideal team with which Vettel could make his F1 return. The 53-time Grand Prix winner is on close personal terms with team principal Toto Wolff and given the German connections between himself and the brand, there is a logical motive for the partnership.

With 19 per cent of the vote, Red Bull registered as the next best option for Vettel. During a six-year stay with the Milton Keynes-based outfit between 2009 and 2014, he won all four of his World Championships, but the prospect of facing up against Max Verstappen in the prime of his career may not be an appealing option at the age of 36.

The third most popular option for a prospective return to F1 was with Sauber, which will rebrand to Audi in 2026. As a Germany-based automotive brand, they also have logical connections with Vettel and with fellow national Nico Hulkenberg already signed up to the project for 2025, an all-German line-up could be on the cards.

Should Toto Wolff decide that the time is right to bring Vettel back into F1, he will have the chance to discuss terms in Imola next weekend. The former Red Bull and Ferrari star will be present as he commemorates the 30th anniversary of Brazilian motorsport icon Ayrton Senna’s passing at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

“Ayrton Senna was not only a driver who I valued highly for being one of the best racing has ever seen, but also a man of great compassion,” Vettel explained in an Instagram video. “It’s been 30 years since his accident and I would like to pay tribute to Ayrton. I will be in Imola for the Grand Prix to drive his car, the McLaren MP4/8. I hope to see you on Sunday, May 19.”