Oscar Piastri revealed his choice for the driver who will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025. The recent announcement of Hamilton’s move to Ferrari caused a stir in the F1 driver market, with Mercedes now in search of a suitable replacement for the seven-time world champion. Speculation has been intense about potential candidates, including 17-year-old prodigy Kimi Antonelli. However, McLaren’s Piastri made his prediction about who will join the Silver Arrows next season.
Piastri, who made his F1 debut last season amidst contractual controversy with Alpine, knows all too well about unexpected driver changes. He himself joined McLaren last minute to replace another driver. With this experience, the 22-year-old gained insights on how to navigate the driver market in such situations.
When asked about his thoughts on who will replace Hamilton, Piastri gave a brief answer. He named two-time world champion Fernando Alonso as the successor to the British driver at Mercedes. Alonso, at 42 years old, holds a strong position in the driver market as the only available F1 world champion for a possible transfer next year.
Alonso, the most experienced driver in Formula 1, has proven that age is just a number as he continues to perform at the highest level. His current contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of this year, which could open the door for a possible move to Mercedes. If given the opportunity, Alonso may be inclined to take Hamilton’s place in Brackley to compete for the championship in the short term. Furthermore, there are suggestions that the 42-year-old driver may use this opportunity to negotiate a higher salary with Lawrence Stroll in order to extend his contract with the Silverstone-based team. However, there has been no official confirmation of any discussions between Alonso and Mercedes.
Rumors about Alonso joining Mercedes were sparked when his manager, Flavio Briatore, recently met with Toto Wolff. However, Alonso made it clear that his focus remains on Aston Martin at the moment. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the Spanish driver will indeed replace Hamilton next year.
