Mercedes are still undecided on who will be 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for the 2025 F1 season.

With 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Fernando Alonso committing to Aston Martওin for the likely remainder of his F1 career, that’s one less option available to them.

The pipe dream

Mercedes are prepared to wait for 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Max Verstappen. As reported by reputable German publication AMuS, Mercedes have already “approved” the finances it would take to bring Verstappen to Mercedes, st🐼arting off with his whopping $55 million salary. 

Given Mercedes’ lack of outright performance in 2024, signing Verstappen has to be a pipe dream. On balance, Mercedes have had the fourth to fifth fastest car in the opening r♎aces of the new campaign and have shown no sign of mastering these regulations.

If it comes down to car performance, Verstappen will have no interest in making the move to Mercedes alongside 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell. ✃However, there are a numꩵber of other factors to consider.

The first is the future of Helmut Marko and how Red Bull’s interna💛l ‘civil war’ plays out. The fallout surrounding Christian Horner’s alleged inappropriate behaviour has sent the rumour mill into overd🎃rive with regards to Verstappen’s future.

The Dutchman💝’s Red Bull future seems to be directly linked with Marko’s - if he goes, I go. Verstappen is loyal to Marko as he was ultimatel꧅y the one who handed him his F1 debut back in 2015 with Toro Rosso.

Red Bull’s internal politics coul🌟d force Verstappen out, with Mercedes the only team now capable of housing him - or even affording him. Another factor could be the 2026 engine regulations.

Red Bull are building their own engine for the first t🅘ime in 2026, and given their lack of experience relative to Mercedes and Ferrari, perhaps joining a proven manufacturer is a safer bet?

Their next Verstappen

Mercedes’ decision to wait for Verstappen also stems from the fact they have a superstar in the making - Andrea K♐imi Antonelli. Antonelli is widely-💝regarded as the hottest prospect outside of F1.

At just 17, Antonelli is competing in his first FIA Formula 2 campaign. And wh🎶ile it’s not been incredibly successful so far, he’s mana🏅ged to out-pace highly-rated teammate - and Ferrari protege - Oliver Bearman - in a couple of the rounds.

Antonelli will drive the Mercedes W12 for the first ♋time later this month as the team gear him up ahead of a possible F1 debut. Toto Wolff was desperate to sign Verstappen back in 2014 but their failure to offer him an immediate F1 drive meant they lost him to Red Bull.

Wolff knows he’s got a Verstappen-like ♎talent on his hands so the idea of putting him straight into F1 is an exciting one. A꧙ntonelli will need to prove himself in F2 - and these F1 tests - to see whether he’s ready for 2025.

Could it be Sainz? 

Now Alonso is off the market, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Carlos Sainz is the best driver available to either Red Bull - if they want to ditch 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sergio Perez - or Mercedes. Sainz has proved himself to be a high performing driver against 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Charles Leclerc and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lando Norris during his stints with Ferrari and McLaren.

Sainz to Mercedes could be unlikely given that the seat would probably be a stop-gap for Antonelli. Sainz will want more tha♋n a one-year deal - which is why the idea of goinꦗg to Mercedes for Alonso wasn’t attractive whatsoever.

Reports in the Italian press🎶 have suggest🍒ed that Mercedes have opted for Sainz, handing him a two-year deal, while Antonelli will be at Williams. 

The stop-gap

If Mercedes don’t feel Antonelli is ready - and Sainz is unwilling to sign a short-term deal, they might be forced into a stop-gap option. Alpine driver 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Esteban Ocon✱ has retained links to Merc🌟edes despite leaving their junior team officially at the end of 2019.

Ocon was competitive against Alonso 🌞in their two years together, out-scoring the Spaniard in 2022. Ocon has proven to be a combative, reliable midfield drive꧑r of the years, and he’s not been afraid to get his elbows out either - whether that’s a positive or negative for Mercedes, you can argue either way.

Or perhaps a final swansong for 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Valtteri Bottas? Bottas is likely going to be available with Audi keen on signing Sainz and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nico Hulkenberg. He still has the speed and for one year ahead of 2026, would ꦿdo a respec🎉table job.

However, given Ocon’s age and wheel-to-wheel prowess, given a choice, the current Alpine driver would give Mercedes more than Bottas if they wanted soܫmeone for one year.