Beyond the Flag
Fansided

Formula 1: 2019 Silly Season driver lineup prediction

By Asher Fair

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JULY 01: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9, Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF71H and Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JULY 01: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9, Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF71H and Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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LE CASTELLET, FRANCE – JUNE 23: Fernando Alonso of Spain driving the (14) McLaren F1 Team MCL33 Renault (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
LE CASTELLET, FRANCE – JUNE 23: Fernando Alonso of Spain driving the (14) McLaren F1 Team MCL33 Renault (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images) /

McLaren, Renault

. No. 7. McLaren, Renault. KIMI RAIKKONEN. #7

With rumors swirling that two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso will leave McLaren and possibly drive in IndyCar and the contract of McLaren’s other driver, Stoffel Vandoorne, being unknown, it would not be surprising to see McLaren hire a veteran driver as somewhat of a mentor for a young driver, which they are likely to have in their lineup one way or another.

Kimi Raikkonen is currently driving for Scuderia Ferrari on a one-year deal for the third consecutive season, but it is unlikely that he will get another one-year deal to continue driving for the team next year. While he would not really have much of a chance to win races driving for McLaren, he hasn’t won a race since he returned to Ferrari in the 2014 season anyway. If he still wants to drive in Formula 1 next year, he may very well reunite with McLaren, the team he drove for from the 2002 season through the 2006 season.

McLaren, Renault. LANDO NORRIS. #47. . No. 47

If Fernando Alonso and/or Stoffel Vandoorne do not re-sign with McLaren for the 2019 Formula 1 season, McLaren reserve driver Lando Norris is the likely candidate to replace one of them.

McLaren already blocked Scuderia Toro Rosso from signing Norris to replace Brendon Hartley for the remainder of the 2017 season, so it is clear that the 18-year-old Briton is in the plans of the Woking-based organization in the near future. It seems highly unlikely that both Alonso and Vandoorne will be back with McLaren next year, so the odds that Norris drives for the team are high.

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