With Lewis Hamilton off to Ferrari after this season, here is a look at who could replace him at Mercedes.
Following confirmation that Hamilton will leave the team after 12 seasons together, Mercedes are now on the hunt for his successor and have many options from rival drivers to members of their own junior team to choose from.
Now, here is a guide to some of the drivers who could be in contention to replace Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Set to make the leap up to F2 from FRECA and bypass F3, Andrea Kimi Antonelli could be seen as the favourite for Hamilton’s seat given that he already has five single-seater titles under his belt at junior level.
The 17 year-old Italian has also established himself as a proven serial race-winner across ADAC F4, Italian F4, F4 Motorsport Games, F4 UAE, Formula Regional Middle East, FRECA and Italian GT Sprint – GT3 Pro, with 34 wins in total and 19 further podium finishes.
F2 however sees the introduction of a new-spec generation car which will level the playing field but Antonelli is up against a talented Ferrari junior, Oliver Bearman who will pose a tougher test for the Italian than any previous teammates in past categories.
Should he beat or at least match Bearman wheel-to-wheel across the season whilst fighting for the title, Antonelli surely has to be in the reckoning for that Mercedes seat otherwise he will be spending another season in F2 instead of moving up to F1.
The fact that the F2 season doesn’t finish until early December is a downside if the title fight goes to the wire and Mercedes want to decide their 2025 line-up earlier, although Antonelli currently has 67 points across last two seasons which is enough for a FIA Super License and F1 seat.
Frederik Vesti
Having spent the last two seasons in F2 where he finished as the 2023 vice-champion, Frederik Vesti can’t be discounted as he prepares to race in European Le Mans this season.
Taking the gamble to race in another series outside of the F1 paddock is often a risky move for any driver who has a role within an F1 academy, which Ferrari’s Robert Shwartzman knows well after his F2 stint and has instead settled into Endurance racing and a F1 reserve role.
Vesti therefore might seem an outsider but I don’t think he can be totally ruled out if he stays with the team in a reserve role this season, and impresses in selected FP1 sessions otherwise he could be a target for Williams next season.
Oliver Bearman
Having lost their leading star to Ferrari, there surely has to be temptation within some at Mercedes to swoop for one of Ferrari’s own future stars in Bearman.
From his ADAC F4 and Italian F4 title double in F1 to finishing third as a rookie in the 2022 F3 season, 18 year-old Bearman has established himself as a future F1 star given his raw pace and speed whilst he has already attracted a strong following in F2 after a strong rookie season.
Consistency though was one of Bearman’s biggest issues last season but with a new-spec generation car this season and experience under his belt, hopes are high that Bearman can fight for the F2 title amidst his reserve responsibilities for Ferrari and Haas in F1.
Bearman also will partner a Mercedes junior in Andrea Kimi Antonelli in F2 this season which would allow the Silver Arrows a huge opportunity to closely scout the Brit, because if he comfortably beats Antonelli in a dominant manner then Mercedes could well face a surprise temptation.
Having Bearman alongside Russell would also offer a fresh young British line-up at Mercedes, whilst saving Bearman from the prospect of driving for Haas next season given their track record with Ferrari juniors given Mick Schumacher’s woes there.
Alex Albon
After punching above his weight to drag Williams to seventh in last season’s constructors’ standings, Alex Albon surely has to be on Mercedes’ radar especially given that his team principal, James Vowles has close connections to the German constructor.
The 27 year-old Thai-British driver also has demonstrated that he still has strong one-lap pace after he achieved seven Q3 appearances in 2023, whilst mounting several strategic drives especially when on the defensive.
Albon also is close friends with Russell so could provide that platonic friendship on top of experience to try and guide Mercedes back to winning ways, yet Mercedes could be slightly wary of taking two friends on as teammates after their past experience with Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Carlos Sainz
Although straight swaps of departing drivers between two teams aren’t exactly common in F1 nowadays, Carlos Sainz could be worth a punt if Mercedes want another experienced driver in their line-up.
Come end of this season, Sainz will have completed a full decade in F1 which has yielded two wins plus 16 further podium finishes and consistent top-ten championship finishes, underlining how strong a driver he is even when given a challenging car.
Sainz however could mark a sideway move for Mercdes who will be looking to begin fighting for titles regularly again from 2026 when new regulations commence, meaning that they will probably want a long-term partner for Russell.
Lando Norris
Despite his recent multi-year contract renewal at McLaren, Lando Norris is still considered hot property by top F1 teams like Mercedes although they would have to meet McLaren’s demands if want to secure the 24 year-old Brit.
Unlike Red Bull, Mercedes has the advantage of being McLaren’s power unit supplier and have previously provided Mick Schumacher as reserve cover, which could be an useful bargaining chip especially with Hamilton’s departure confirmed this early in the year.
Hamilton’s early announcement allows Mercdes plenty of negotiation time if they want Norris before Red Bull can hijack any deal, given that their rivals must wait to see how Sergio Perez fares before making a swoop if Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo don’t deliver at Visa Cash App RB.
McLaren however won’t want to let Norris – or Oscar Piastri for that matter – go without a stubborn fight to retain him, so Mercedes will need to play this cleverly in negotiation if want to prise Norris across to Brackley.