Ferrari cleverly secured Mercedes’ no.1 option to replace Lewis Hamilton before signing the F1 champion

Mercedes have found themselves without an alternative to Lewis Hamilton after the Briton signed with Ferrari for 2025.

Ferrari cleverly secured Mercedes’ no.1 option to replace Lewis Hamilton before signing the F1 champion

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton (Credits: @lewishamilton/Instagram)

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Lewis Hamilton will be racing for Ferrari from the 2025 F1 season. The 39-year-old made a shock announcement to join Maranello after the end of this year. This has left Mercedes in a tough spot as the Silver Arrows would need to find a suitable replacement for the seven-time world champion. However, Ferrari has managed to outsmart its arch-rival by already securing Charles Leclerc for the long term.

Leclerc is one of the most highly-rated drivers on the F1 grid. As such, Toto Wolff‘s squad would have been interested in the services of the Monegasque driver. Wolff recently admitted that Mercedes would’ve looked at potential options if Lewis Hamilton had informed about his Ferrari move just a couple of weeks prior. Certainly, an indirect admission that the Silver Arrows lost to Maranello on Charles Leclerc.

A few contracts have been signed in the last few weeks that we would have looked at, that would have been interesting, but the timing beat us a bit.
Toto Wolff said as reported by Racingnews365

Charles Leclerc signed a massive multi-year contract with the Scuderia just days before Hamilton’s deal broke cover. As such, Mercedes has no real chance of signing the 26-year-old to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025. However, it must be noted that Lando Norris was another driver who recently extended his contract with McLaren. The Briton has been regarded as a potential world champion who could’ve been on Mercedes’ radar to replace Hamilton.

What’s next for Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton’s exit?

Lewis Hamilton was undoubtedly the star driver for the Silver Arrows over the past decade. The 39-year-old achieved historic success at Brackley and won six world titles in a span of seven seasons. However, Mercedes’ slump in performance in the past two seasons led to Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari at the end of this year.

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff.
Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff. (Via IMAGO)

Toto Wolff’s squad would need to find a solid driver to partner George Russell in 2025. Multiple drivers have been rumored to be on Wolff’s list including retired four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. However, the Mercedes team boss has dismissed such a possibility.

Alex Albon and Mick Schumacher could be other potential candidates to replace Lewis Hamilton. However, Toto Wolff has made it clear that the Silver Arrows will not rush to make such a call and decide in the coming months.

Certainly, Mercedes will need to get the right driver to fill in the shoes of Lewis Hamilton. As such it remains to be seen who ends up getting the call from Brackley to race for the team in 2025.

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