Lewis Hamilton Replacement Odds: Who Will Replace The Star Driver At Mercedes?
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It is now official that Lewis Hamilton will join the Ferrari team ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The seven-time world champion has activated a release clause in his Mercedes contract which means that he will depart from this team at the end of the current campaign.
There’s plenty of excitement about the prospect of Hamilton driving for Ferrari, although his imminent departure has also created speculation on betting sites over who will replace the 39-year-old when it comes to driving his Mercedes car from next season onwards.
Let's take a look at the odds that have been created as we look at the drivers who could potentially make the switch.
Ocon And Sainz In Pole Position
Indeed, it’s Carlos Sainz (2/1) who Hamilton will be replacing next year and it would make sense if the Spaniard joined Mercedes to start a new chapter of his career.
The 29-year-old recently won the Australian Grand Prix, ahead of Charles Leclerc who will be Hamilton's new team-mate next season.
As for Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman is the 6/4 favourite on new betting sites and could be a natural successor to Hamilton at Mercedes, with the Alpine driver potentially stepping up after the 2024 season.
He is regarded as highly talented and has clocked up over 100 Formula 1 races, so he has certainly earned his stripes ahead of a big money move.
Ocon is thought to be open to making the jump to Mercedes and getting the opportunity to star for a much stronger constructor.
His solitary success at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021 illustrated his enormous potential, however he has yet to impress so far this season.
Verstappen Poised To Overtake Top Two In The Betting
Interestingly, Max Verstappen has been repeatedly linked with the prospect of leaving the Red Bull team at the end of the 2024 season and a potential switch to Mercedes would cause shockwaves through the sport.
Verstappen (5/2) is the reigning champion and the heavy favourite to add another world title to his belt this time around, although the prospect of him taking on a new challenge would be exciting.
The Dutchman's is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, but it's understood that he has a clause allowing him to leave immediately if Helmut Marko departs the team before then.
Albon And Vettel Next On The Grid
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will mean that George Russell becomes the principal driver for Mercedes, although it’s far from clear as to who will replace the former, with Alex Albon linked as the driver who could fill a large pair of boots.
The Williams-Mercedes driver, who has achieved two podium finishes in his 83 starts to date, is 3/1 with betting apps to replace Hamilton and he could jump at the chance to drive for a better team.
Albon has been participating on the Formula 1 circuit since making his bow in the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, but the 28-year-old is yet to score a single World Championship point this term.
There’s also the prospect of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel returning to the track after stepping away at the end of the 2022 season.
Vettel secured all of his world titles consecutively between 2010 and 2013, and he also had two major dust-ups with Hamilton over the 2017 and 2018 World Drivers' Championships - with the Brit coming out on top on both occasions.
He is also no stranger to Mercedes' engines having used them in his two final seasons when he raced for the Aston Martin team.
Although he has been out of the game for a little while now, Vettel has recently been linked with a shock return to the sport and that has seen his price cut from 10/1 last month into a 4/1 chance.
Schumacher, Antonelli And Alonso Chances Running On Empty
Mick Schumacher (9/2), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (7/1) and Fernando Alonso (10/1) are other names that could be in the frame for the vacant position.
As a current Mercedes reserve driver Schumacher would seem to have the inside track on most to take Hamilton's spot.
The 24-year-old drove in the 2021 and 2022 Formula One World Championship before leaving Ferrari at the end of 2022 and has also been a reserve team driver for McLaren and now Mercedes, but the jury is out on whether he can become an adequate replacement for one of the greatest of all time.
Antonelli provides a youthful option, with the 17-year-old touted to make the step up to Formula 1 in the near future.
Elsewhere, Alonso is a more experienced driver that won't have the same pressures given his pedigree within the sport.
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