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Formula 1: 4 drivers who could drive for Mercedes in 2020

By Asher Fair

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 29: Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 29, 2019 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 29: Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 29, 2019 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images) /
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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 30: Esteban Ocon of France and Mercedes GP (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 30: Esteban Ocon of France and Mercedes GP (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images) /

Esteban Ocon

Esteban Ocon drove for Sahara Force India-turned-Racing Point Force India in the 2017 and 2018 seasons as a Mercedes junior driver, but he lost his ride with the team for the 2019 season due to the fact that the team were purchased by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, who replaced Ocon with his son Lance.

Ocon ended up failing to land a ride with the other non-factory Mercedes team on the grid, ROKiT Williams Racing, although that was probably a blessing in disguise for him considering how drastically slow the Grove-based team have been so far this season.

Instead, the 22-year-old Frenchman became the Mercedes reserve driver, and there were rumors when this was announced late last year that this put him in line to replace Valtteri Bottas ahead of the 2020 season assuming Mercedes did not utilize the additional one-year option on the one-year contract that Bottas signed last July to continue driving for the team through at least the 2019 season.

These rumors even heated up to the point where many people believed that there was a chance that Ocon would replace Bottas at the Silver Arrows before the 2019 season ends if the 29-year-old Finn does not perform at a high enough level and he hinders Mercedes’ chances of continuing their five-year runs of winning driver and constructor championships.

If Bottas does not return to Mercedes for what would be his fourth season driving for the team next year, don’t be surprised to see Ocon become Lewis Hamilton’s teammate.

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