Formula 1: Shock replacement candidate emerging for Mercedes?

Jacques Villeneuve believes that neither George Russell nor Valtteri Bottas will be Lewis Hamilton’s teammate in the 2022 Formula 1 season.

The big Formula 1 silly season question that has been discussed for much of the 2021 season revolves around the second Mercedes car: who will compete alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in the 2022 season?

And this question is one that still hasn’t been answered, 11 races into the 23-race campaign.

At first, team principal Toto Wolff indicated that he could wait until the offseason to make a decision, but it is now expected that a decision will come during the summer break, which extends until the season resumes with the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, August 29.

More from Formula One

• Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
• Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
• Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
• Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
• Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points

It has been a foregone conclusion that the decision is between current Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and Mercedes junior driver George Russell, who is in the third year of a three-year deal with Williams and is eager to land a more competitive ride.

The 23-year-old Briton has long been considered Mercedes’ driver of the future, and he had a chance to drive for the team in last year’s Sakhir Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit after Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19. He put on an impressive display in a car that left him with bruised knees and bloody knuckles since he could only barely manage to fit inside Hamilton’s cockpit.

However, according to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve, neither one of these two drivers will be Hamilton’s teammate next season.

He believes that it will be current Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll who gets the call to join the Brackley-based team as their second driver for 2022.

Here is what Villeneuve had to say about the matter to Italian newspaper Libero Quotidiano.

"“For me, [Bottas] could move to Aston Martin, instead of Lance Stroll, who would go to Mercedes. Stroll senior’s dream is to see his son win championships. He’s very close to Toto Wolff, and Toto needs a place for Valtteri. Hamilton certainly doesn’t want to have Russell as a teammate. It’s better to have someone like Bottas, who won’t bother him.”"

One some levels, the theory makes sense. On others, not so much.

This would give Bottas the opportunity to stay in Formula 1 at Aston Martin alongside four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, and Wolff has been very clear that he will help the 31-year-old Finn find a ride for 2022 if he does end up losing his Mercedes seat but wants to continue driving elsewhere.

It is also true that Lawrence Stroll, Lance’s father and Aston Martin team owner, has a good relationship with Wolff, which in itself could make this deal a possibility.

Then there’s the idea of Hamilton not wanting a teammate who is going to “bother” him, especially since he just recently signed a two-year extension that runs through the 2023 season.

Russell, of course, would be the potential “bother”, but given the fact that Hamilton is 36 years old, signing Russell would be a clear indication of Mercedes having their eye on the future — something they have yet to show compared to many of their rival teams.

This concept has been debated quite often as of late, with one anonymous source calling the rumors of Hamilton holding up the team’s decision “bull****”, though the jury is out on the credibility of those sources — especially given some of the past happenings at the Silver Arrows.

So this theory could make sense, but at the same time, if the whole idea is to hire somebody who isn’t going to get in Hamilton’s way, then there’s no good reason not to stick with Bottas for what would be a sixth consecutive season.

Plus, Lawrence wanting to see his son win championships simply isn’t going to be a reason for Mercedes to hire him. The only thing that this really means is that Lance isn’t going to be restricted by his father if he does get offered a better opportunity than what he has now. But in itself, Lawrence’s desire to see Lance succeed isn’t going to magically net him that better opportunity.

At the end of the day, Stroll in the second Mercedes seat in 2022 isn’t something that anybody aside from Villeneuve, who has been known for some his past hot takes, is really anticipating. As we’ve expected all along, the decision is ultimately slated to be between sticking with Bottas or looking to the future and hiring Russell.