The seven-time Formula 1 World Champion is leaving Mercedes at the end of this season to join the Red team. This comes after nearly twenty years as part of the ‘Silver Arrows’ family and achieving numerous successes, including a record of 104 pole positions and 103 Grand Prix victories, all powered by Mercedes.
Now, Russell’s team has an empty seat for a teammate. While the media has linked several drivers to the seat, it remains to be seen who will be sharing the garage with him next year.
In an interview with F1.com, Russell shared his thoughts on his future teammate, stating: “It will be an interesting few months to see what happens. However, I have no concerns about who will line up beside me. I want to be challenged by the best, and I believe that’s what I’ve experienced in the last two years. Whether it’s an experienced driver or a young driver, I feel confident that I can contribute to taking the team forward in this new chapter.”
After Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, which sparked an early F1 Silly Season in 2025, the betting industry is even offering odds on who will replace the 39-year-old British driver.
Here are the betting odds for Russell’s future teammate at Mercedes:
Regarding his own preference, Russell commented: “I believe it is important for any team to have good dynamics between the drivers, as this impacts the whole team, including the engineers. However, the final decision lies with Toto and the board. We have had several discussions already, and I have spent a lot of time with Toto this winter. It was fun to see the names of potential drivers popping up on my phone and receiving calls and text messages. As a team, we are in a fantastic position to embark on this new chapter after achieving so much success with Lewis and Mercedes.”
Wolff’s perspective on the matter is as follows: “I am not in a rush to make a decision about the drivers. Lewis has rushed me before, so this time, I will take my time and carefully evaluate the market.”
Mercedes had a tough start this year, with their W15 car proving to be challenging for both drivers in the first two races of the season. This suggests that the timing for Hamilton’s move is right, just as it was when he left McLaren a decade ago. The second seat at Mercedes, highly coveted by many drivers, may be a challenging position to fill. Only time will tell.
