Lewis Hamilton caught the F1 world by surprise at the end of January as he revealed that he will leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025. While many await the sensational move to happen, Mercedes has a herculean task at hand. The Silver Arrows will need to fill the void Hamilton will leave behind with a talent that matches his stature. While that would be next to impossible as Hamilton is arguably the greatest driver of all time, Mercedes would have to try to bring the best talent they can. Amid all the ongoing speculations, Hamilton’s former colleague at McLaren, Marc Priestley, has made a suggestion. The former McLaren mechanic believes Alex Albon could be Mercedes’ best bet.
Speaking in a video uploaded on his official YouTube channel, Priestley said, “Alex Albon, maybe not a youngster so much anymore, but also somebody I think is growing massively in terms of confidence. [He is] doing an incredible job at Williams. Seems a very sensible kid that would actually fit the Mercedes mold really well, and I think he’s a genuinely good option.”
Albon impressed experts with his calculated drives in 2023. Scoring 27 out of Williams’ total of 28 points, the Thai driver played a catalytic role in pulling the team out of the bottom.
Also playing the role of the senior driver, Albon guided the engineers in developing the car. As a result, the British team managed to finish seventh in the championship.
While that makes him a prime candidate for a Mercedes drive, Albon’s current contract situation might play spoilsport. The 27-year-old is tied down with Williams until the end of 2025. Team boss James Vowles, while reminding the media of this fact, strongly suggested the rival teams stay away.
Mercedes, meanwhile, have their eyes glued to 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli, who is a pupil of the Silver Arrows’ driver academy, is currently in his debut F2 season.
Who else is a candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes?
While Andrea Kimi Antonelli may be one of the candidates to replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Mercedes seat, Toto Wolff is against putting unnecessary pressure on the youngster. The speculations over the F2 rookie’s candidature found its roots in Wolff’s tall praise for him. The Austrian manager recently admitted his guilt for the same.
The Italian driver has started the season on a high though. He finished P6 in the feature as well as the sprint race in Jeddah recently. However, in the event he fails to show consistency, Wolff could consider a strong short-term replacement.
That approach finds the best candidate in Fernando Alonso who, at 42 years, possesses a world of experience. The Spaniard is also capable of driving the development path for the car as seen at Aston Martin.
Another possibility, however bleak it may be, is of Max Verstappen joining the Brackley outfit. The ongoing crisis at Red Bull has increased rumors that the Dutchman may not fulfill the terms of his contract with the team. The reigning champion recently suggested that he will exit the team in case Helmut Marko leaves.
Moreover, with the engine regulations coming into play, starting in 2026, a move elsewhere may not seem too ludicrous. The last time FIA introduced engine-related changes (2014), Mercedes ended up winning eight Constructors’ championships and seven Drivers’ titles in succession.
Red Bull, on the other hand, has next to no experience in developing power units and has partnered with Ford to manufacture engines for the 2026 cars. As a result, Verstappen could consider switching to Mercedes, who have years of experience of handling such a regulations change.
