Mercedes have no reason for the team to change their driver lineup ahead of the 2020 Formula 1 season as of now, just as team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has stated.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has quieted rumors about the team changing their driver lineup ahead of the 2020 Formula 1 season, claiming that there is no reason for them to do so at this point in time, and he is not mistaken.
Wolff made his claims amid rumors that he had contacted Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen about replacing Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate ahead of the 2020 season, rumors that he proceeded to deny.
In October of 2017, Verstappen signed a three-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing to continue driving for the team through the 2020 season, but Red Bull Racing team manager Helmut Marko recently revealed that the contract of the 21-year-old Dutchman contains a performance clause that would allow him to seek other options if the Milton Keynes-based team do not give him a car that is capable of competing for this year’s championship.
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Additionally, there have been rumors circulating since this past November when Esteban Ocon was confirmed as Mercedes’ reserve driver for the 2019 season that the 22-year-old Frenchman may replace the 29-year-old Finn ahead of the 2020 season and possibly even before the 2019 season comes to a close.
Last July, Hamilton signed a two-year contract extension to continue driving for the team through the 2020 season, and Bottas signed a one-year contract extension to continue driving for them through the 2019 season, although his contract contains an additional one-year option that would allow the Silver Arrows to retain him through the 2020 season.
Here is what Wolff had to say about Mercedes having no need to change their driver lineup, according to Race Fans.
"“After a day like today [in China] when we are P1 and P2 I’m not considering any other driver for the short-term. What I decide for 2020 will be first discussed with Valtteri and Lewis and once that decision is taken it will be taken into account and we can plan for 2020,”"
Mercedes have opened up the 2019 season by recording three consecutive 1-2 finishes. Bottas won the season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, ahead of Hamilton in second place. Hamilton then went on to win the season’s second and third races, the Bahrain Grand Prix and Chinese Grand Prix, respectively, with Bottas finishing behind him in both races.
The last time a team opened up a season by recording three consecutive 1-2 finishes was in the 1992 season when Williams pulled it off. Nigel Mansell won each of the season’s first three races ahead of his teammate, Riccardo Patrese, in second place in each of them.
Hamilton currently leads the driver standings by six points (68 to 62) over Bottas in second place with Verstappen in a distance third with 39 points. Mercedes currently lead the constructor standings by 57 points (130 to 73) over Scuderia Ferrari in second with Red Bull Racing in a distant third with 52 points.
Why fix what isn’t broken?
Of course, there are still 18 races remaining on the 21-race 2019 Formula 1 schedule, so there is plenty of time for things to change, but as of now, why would Mercedes even bother considering changing their lineup?
Will Mercedes make changes to their driver lineup ahead of the 2020 Formula 1 season, or will they retain both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas for what would be their fourth consecutive season as teammates at the Brackley-based team? If they do make changes, what will their driver lineup look like next year?