There has been a great deal of uncertainty about Lewis Hamilton’s future in Formula 1 since the heartbreaking season finale in Abu Dhabi last year. The race at Yas Marina sparked a spate of rumours, including ones that suggested the Brit would quit long before the start would retire from racing for the 2022 season.
DISPLAY
The article continues below this ad
Of course, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff will be keen to persuade Hamilton to extend his stay, but the Brackley side cannot put all their trust in the Brit at the moment.
Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Aston Martin hug Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes AMG Petronas at Parc Ferme after the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula One/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
As such, quite a few reports have claimed that Mercedes have already started looking at other options should Hamilton end up leaving them hanging without a main driver.
DISPLAY
The article continues below this ad
His departure could also come at the worst possible time for Mercedes, who decided to replace veteran Valtteri Bottas with a rather inexperienced George Russell. So now that Hamilton is a potential departure, the Silver Arrows are under immense pressure to replace him with someone of his calibre.
Who is likely to replace Lewis Hamilton?
According to Motorsport, multiple sources linked to Bild and RTL have confirmed that Mercedes is considering four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel as their top-priority backup driver. To be clear, the German can only switch to Mercedes if his former rival Hamilton retires from F1.
In addition, there is also Vettel’s interest. Is he really keen to return to a top team after the horrific conclusion of his stint at Ferrari in 2020? Also, is he able to withstand the title pressure after spending over two seasons in midfield and downfield?
DISPLAY
The article continues below this ad
Formula One F1 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy – Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel at the FIA press conference FIA/Handout via REUTERS
Too many questions to answer. But of course it’s not really surprising that Mercedes might be interested in Vettel. They actually tried to bring him back in 2018 in a favorable scenario.
However, the unification proved quite impractical as Ferrari showed promising signs of winning a championship title in the years to come. With Vettel’s only goal being to win a title with Ferrari, he couldn’t give it up and signed a three-year contract extension.
DISPLAY
The article continues below this ad
And well, we all know how the next three years unfolded for the four-time world champion. So, in the midst of a pretty terrible stint, can Vettel manage to reignite his racing career with a move to Mercedes?
DIVE DEEPER
Did you enjoy reading this article? Download our exclusive app for 24/7 coverage, the latest memes and social media banter. Click here to download.
