5 potential F1 drivers who can replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton's contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the 2023 F1 season. The seven-time world champion will be 38 years old next season. Adding to that, if we are to give any credence to Bernie Ecclestone's recent comments, the British legend might be on his way out the door sooner rather than later.

If that happens, it will open up a lucrative spot on the grid at Mercedes and it will be very interesting to see who gets the opportunity to latch on to that spot. In this piece, we'll don the hat of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and try to list who could be the possible candidates to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

#1 Charles Leclerc

Pros: A Truly Elite Talent

Cons: Two Alphas in the same team

Charles Leclerc has been fighting somewhat of a losing battle at Ferrari this season against Max Verstappen. The Ferrari driver, unlike Lewis Hamilton in 2021, does not have sufficient support from the team (in terms of strategy or the machine) to put together a strong run.

Ferrari is every driver's dream team before they enter F1. However, bigger aspirations of becoming a world champion will always usurp any such dream.

At the moment, Ferrari is a shadow of its dominant years in the early Millennium. If the team's form continues into next season, Charles Leclerc could be eyeing the seat Lewis Hamilton vacates at Mercedes. Officially, Leclerc's contract extends till 2026 but in the current era of F1, breakaway clauses exist for this very reason.

The Silver Arrows could certainly replace Lewis Hamilton with Charl Leclerc as the Ferrari driver has already proven himself to be one of the finest drivers on the grid. Though putting two young and dominating drivers together might compromise the team, it might still be worth a shot considering how early they are in their careers.

#2 Pierre Gasly

Pros: A proven talent

Cons: A driver Red Bull did not deem fit for promotion

Sergio Perez and Red Bull extended their marriage for two more years this season. However, this effectively meant that the doors were officially closed in the short term for Pierre Gasly. The French driver has committed the 2023 F1 season with AlphaTauri. Nonetheless, if the opportunity with Mercedes knocks on the door at the end of the season or in 2023, Red Bull would ideally not block Gasly from going there.

Gasly has proven himself to be a class act by consistently being one of the standout drivers in the midfield. He would be a valuable addition to any team should they decide to sign him. There is, however, a question mark that lurks over Gasly, which is Red Bull's hesitance to re-promote the driver back to the senior team.

Senior management possibly noticed a severe flaw, which could be something that both Toto Wolff and Mercedes might need to be mindful of when trying to find Lewis Hamilton's replacement.

#3 Esteban Ocon

Pros: A former member of Mercedes junior academy

Cons: Not as attractive a prospect as others

Esteban Ocon was a Mercedes junior for a long time before he had to switch camps and cut ties with the German outfit. Since moving from Mercedes for the 2020 F1 season, Ocon has scored a podium with Renault in 2020 and won a race with Alpine in 2021.

The driver was well-liked by Toto Wolff and has kept those ties strong even after all these years. Once Lewis Hamilton retires, Wolff could look at Ocon as the perfect team player and a perfect foil for George Russell within the team.

Having said that, Ocon has been in contention for that Mercedes seat for a long time now. In the past, it was Bottas who occupied it while the French driver was looked at as a reserve. The team did not find the French driver an attractive enough proposition then and even now, it could go against him.

#4 Sebastian Vettel

Pros: A former (German) World champion in good form

Cons: The "activist" Vettel could be problematic for any team

Sebastian Vettel is enjoying a second wind of sorts in his career. He's fast again and is dominating his teammate to the level we expect from a former World Champion. Vettel's level of performance this season has been very impressive and he has been one of the standouts considering the subpar car he's driving.

If Lewis Hamilton does decide to call it quits, Mercedes could look to Sebastian Vettel as the driver capable of providing the team with the much-needed championship experience. Not only that, being a German World Champion on a German team is a dream that Mercedes could not entirely milk during the dominant Turbo Hybrid era when Rosberg retired.

With Russell proving himself to be more than a capable driver, Mercedes could see Vettel as the perfect German driver in the second seat. Sebastian Vettel's rather stringent stance on sustainability and inclusiveness could work against him though. But if the team can work its way around it, this could be an enticing partnership.

#5 Lando Norris

Pros: One of the best drivers in the midfield right now

Cons: His McLaren affinity

Lando Norris could just be the driver to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. He's fast, he's well-established, he is very popular amongst the Brits, and most importantly, he might just be the best driver in the midfield right now.

In the last two years, Norris has evolved from being a chirpy young McLaren driver to a team leader. In the same period, his stock has gone through the roof to such an extent that McLaren signed him to a lucrative long-term contract.

If Lewis Hamilton does take a leave from the sport, Norris might just be the driver Toto Wolff has an eye on. What could work against Norris is the affinity he has shown for McLaren. He signed an extension last season and this year, he signed another extension. The driver is very happy at McLaren and wants to take the team to glory, something that could hold off any possible association with Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton's Dark Horse replacement (Daniel Ricciardo)

Finally, a driver that could possibly skip the line and take the seat is the Australian from Perth. Daniel Ricciardo is a remarkable driver. However, his stock has taken a massive drop during his association with Lando Norris. Although he seems to be getting a better hold of the McLaren, Norris is still universally considered the better driver out of the two.

Mercedes could hire Ricciardo as Lewis Hamilton's successor for his marketability, driving skills, and experience. The Australian is arguably the third most popular name in F1 right now behind Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Additionally, the Australian will bring much-needed experience to the team that won't be there in case of most other options like Leclerc or a Norris.

More importantly, he would be the perfect foil for George Russell. He might not be as quick as the Brit, but Ricciardo still knows how to extract strong results. Although still an outsider, the Australian could prove to be a valuable addition if Lewis Hamilton decides to leave Mercedes.