Formula 1 mock draft: How the grid might look if teams drafted drivers
By Simon Head
9. Mercedes: Oscar Piastri
If you’re a driver looking at this draft, you’re hoping to go in the No. 7 to No. 10 range in order to get a car that has a chance of winning on the race track. And for that reason, Oscar Piastri is overjoyed to be picked as Mercedes’ number one driver at No. 9.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff looked at the list of available drivers and opted for talent over experience by selecting Piastri, whose talent and skill behind the wheel of the McLaren have marked him out as a potential world championship challenger of the future.
With the Aussie now behind the wheel of the Mercedes, who themselves have a point to prove in the coming years, that potential could come to fruition sooner rather than later.
10. Red Bull: Daniel Ricciardo
He wanted to get back to Red Bull, and now, thanks to this draft, the "Honey Badger" is back home – and in their number one car, to boot.
Given the fact that they still have the best car on the grid, the Red Bull brass wanted a familiar face who knew the team and its processes in order to give them the smallest possible drop-off from losing the duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Daniel Ricciardo offers that familiarity, and after being gifted the number one drive at Formula 1's top team, the Aussie knows there has never been a better opportunity to not just win again but to win a world championship.
The question is, can he do it?