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Formula 1: Ranking the chances of the 4 primary Mercedes candidates for 2020

By Asher Fair

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 17: Race winner Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP and third placed Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on March 17, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 17: Race winner Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP and third placed Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on March 17, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 11: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer leads Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 11: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer leads Valtteri Bottas driving the (77) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes WO9 (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /

Which of the four primary candidates to drive for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in the 2020 Formula 1 season have the best chances to do so?

Valtteri Bottas, who has driven for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in Formula 1 since after former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg shockingly announced his retirement after winning his first career championship in the 2016 season, signed a one-year contract last July to continue driving for the team through at least the 2019 season.

This contract extension also includes an additional one-year option that would allow the 29-year-old Finn to continue driving for the Brackley-based team through the 2020 season, although it is not known whether or not this one-year option favors Mercedes or Bottas comes to making the decision to accept or reject it. It is heavily speculated that this decision will be up to Mercedes.

As a result, it is entirely possible that one of Mercedes’ two seats will be open once the 2019 season ends.

There are four primary candidates in terms of who will end up landing this race for the 2020 season. These four candidates are Bottas, Mercedes reserve driver Esteban Ocon, ROKiT Williams Racing’s George Russell and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton, who has driven for the Silver Arrows since the 2013 season, signed a contract extension last July slightly before Bottas did. As a result, he is set to continue driving for the team through the 2020 season, so whoever ends up driving the car that Bottas currently drives is set to become the teammate to the 34-year-old Briton.

Of the four primary candidates to drive for Mercedes as the teammate to the five-time champion in the 2020 season, who has the best chance? Here are the rankings of these four drivers in terms of their chances to do so.

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