SUMMARY
- Lewis Hamilton is reportedly leaving Mercedes after the 2025 season.
- Hamilton's departure leaves an empty seat at Mercedes from the 2025 season.
Not too long ago, it was reported that Lewis Hamilton would no longer drive for Mercedes from the 2025 season. This news came as a shock to many. There were several rumors in the past of him joining Ferrari, but none were serious rumors. There were also reports that Hamilton and Ferrari’s president had talked before he signed his contract extension with Mercedes.
He had recently signed a contract extension with the team which would have ended after the 2025 season. However, it seems as though Ferrari is choosing to buy Hamilton out of his contract. With Hamilton going to Ferrari at the end of the year, it leaves an open spot in one of the top teams in F1. Let’s take a look at some of the drivers who could replace Hamilton in Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso
There is no doubt that Fernando Alonso is one of the best drivers in the world. Although his 2 Championships came early in his career, he has proved to be a consistent driver for every team he has driven for.
In the past, we have seen Alonso make some shocking moves in his career. We first saw it when he left Renault after winning 2 consecutive Championships to drive for McLaren. We again saw it the next year when he went to drive for Renault again.
#F1 | Ted Kravitz reports Toto Wolff was in contact with Fernando Alonso’s inner circle in the last few hours.
Alonso is reportedly waiting to see Aston Martin‘s progress in 2024 before deciding anything. pic.twitter.com/XgofchrRAN
— deni (@fiagirly) February 1, 2024
After retiring in 2018, he shocked the F1 world by coming back to racing with Alpine in the 2021 season. While he convinced everyone at Alpine that he would be extending his contract, he announced his move to Aston Martin.
So there is no doubt that Alonso could make the jump to drive for Mercedes. He could be a valuable asset for the team in the coming seasons.
Alex Albon
In the past 2 years, Alex Albon has impressed a lot of teams on the paddock. So there is no doubt that he has turned some heads with his performance. It would not be fair to not consider him for the Mercedes seat from 2025.
Albon is also a close friend of George Russell. This lineup would give the team a fresh young start they could build from. Albon would be the perfect long-term solution for Mercedes.
Find someone who looks at you the way Alex Albon looks at George… 😜 pic.twitter.com/XBE2GmqwHO
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) January 26, 2024
Mercedes also has a good relationship with Williams. After all, Toto Wolff still owns a share in the team. We saw George Russell get some experience with Williams before making it to Mercedes in 2022. We could see something similar with Albon now.
Previously, there were rumors suggesting that Albon would go to Ferrari to drive alongside Charles Leclerc. However, given that Lewis Hamilton will most probably be driving for the team in 2025, Mercedes seems more likely.
Pierre Gasly
There is no doubt that Pierre Gasly is one of the most talented drivers in the world. However, he was stuck in Red Bull’s junior team for most of his career. He finally made his way out of the Red Bull family after the 2022 season. There is no doubt that Toto would be considering Gasly to replace Hamilton.
Gasly is an experienced driver who has managed to win a race with one of the worst cars on the grid. He has impressed a lot of people in the paddock. This puts him on the shortlist for Mercedes. Gasly is also not too old. So he could be a stable option for Mercedes in the long run.
Given the right car, Gasly could be a regular on the podium. We could see this happen with Mercedes. Given their current trajectory, there is no doubt that Mercedes will be back on top sooner than later. This could allowed Gasly to fight for the Championship.
Carlos Sainz
One of the most obvious candidates for Mercedes is Carlos Sainz. Given that Lewis is replacing him in Ferrari, Mercedes would be a good destination for the Spaniard.
In the last 3 years with Ferrari, Carlos Sainz has proven to be a consistent driver for the team. In 2023, he was leading the teammate battle until the very last race. In 2021, Carlos beat Charles in the teammate battle. Keep in mind that 2021 was Carlos’ first year with the team. Mercedes needs a consistent driver for the foreseeable future. Sainz could fill this role perfectly. However, there are rumors suggesting that Sainz could land elsewhere.
⚠️ | Carlos Sainz is reportedly targeting a move to Audi, Mercedes or Aston Martin.
[@ASJesusBalseiro]#F1 pic.twitter.com/wKIIqTunCO
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) February 1, 2024
There is no doubt that the Spaniard has connections with Audi. His father, Carlos Sainz Sr. drove for Audi Motorsport in the Dakar Rally for the last 3 years. He even won the 2024 Dakar Rally with Audi. There is no doubt that Audi will be considering Sainz Jr. for their team from the 2026 season. In order to lock down the driver, they could influence Sauber to sign him for the 2025 season.
Sainz is also said to be looking at Aston Martin. This could happen if Fernando Alonso chooses to retire or chooses to go to Mercedes. There is also a small chance that Sainz and Alonso could make Aston Martin an all-Spanish driver lineup. Given that Aramco is taking power over the team from this season, Lance Stroll’s future has come into doubt. So Sainz could take Stroll’s place to give Aston Martin a strong lineup.
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg was once linked to Mercedes back in 2012. It was reported that he would join the team if Lewis Hamilton had rejected the contract. If that had happened, we could have seen Hulkenberg with a few Championships today. However, Lewis did accept the contract.
However, the recent news could give Nico another chance to drive for Mercedes. There is no doubt that Hulkenberg is a good driver. After spending a couple of years out of the grid, he made his way back with Haas in 2023. He proved to everyone that he was still a strong driver who could help the team.
There is no doubt that Mercedes could be considering him as well for the 2025 season. Hulkenberg’s experience in F1 could help the team develop the car in the coming years.