Formula 1: 5 possible replacements for Lewis Hamilton

Possible Lewis Hamilton replacements: No. 3 – Oscar Piastri

We can assume that 20-year old Australian Oscar Piastri, the 2020 Formula 3 and 2021 Formula 2 champion, will be in Formula 1 soon. It will most likely be with Alpine, where he currently serves as a reserve driver.

But should Mercedes step out of character and decide to make a bold move, they could do a lot worse than choosing Piastri.

The move would pair him with George Russell, who, like Piastri, was a rookie Formula 2 champion,  and it would give Mercedes the youngest and maybe the boldest driver pairing on the grid. I think this move is about three steps too aggressive for Mercedes, but if I were Toto Wolff, I would certainly be considering Piastri.

A Formula 2 championship doesn’t guarantee success in Formula 1, but three of the past six Formula 2 title winners – Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc, and Russell – have certainly not disappointed in Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg also won Formula 2 titles before becoming Formula 1 champions.

Hiring Piastri would be out of character for the conservative eight-time reigning world constructor champions, but we can assume that Piastri will be in a Formula 1 car at some point in the next season or two anyway. Mercedes could do worse than having two recent Formula 2 champions, aged 23 and 20, set to drive them to another decade of dominance.

But he’s not the only young Formula 2 champion chomping at the bit to get into a Formula 1 car.