Formula 1 News: Mercedes prepare for life without Hamilton

The Mercedes F1 team has lined up two young drivers to replace 39-year-old Lewis Hamilton when he can no longer win races.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Mercedes will keep Lewis Hamilton around for as long as possible, but when the lap times start dropping due to old age the seven-time champion will have to be replaced.

He signed a new deal last year which will keep him with Mercedes and in Formula 1 until at least the end of 2025, at which time he will be 41.

Mercedes is well aware of the situation and already has two drivers on the books who look well-placed to be called upon to step up when the time does eventually come.

One of them is 17-year-old  Andrea Kimi Antonelli (shown above) who has potential star power, thanks to his performances in the junior categories.

Team principal Toto Wolff has spoken highly of the Italian but cautioned against building the teenager up too much. Despite that, Antonelli has skipped F3 entirely and has been handed a top Formula 2 seat with Prema for the upcoming 2024 season.

If Antonelli does not pan out in F2, they already have Esteban Ocon who is managed by Mercedes and on loan to Alpine.

“He’s still very linked to us. He’s an Alpine driver and he’s fully committed to Alpine, but we’re still managing his career,” Lagrue told The Race. “We have a very good relationship with Alpine and with others. And we always try to find the best solution to work together in the best interest of the team and the driver.”