Mercedes might be struggling to understand the issues with their current car, but they’re still one of the most attractive outfits on the grid right now.
Lewis Hamilton might be wishing he was already at Ferrari ahead of his 2025 move but still has 22 Grand Prix to go before he switches Brackley for Maranello.
In an interview with The Project, one of Mercedes’s potential replacements for the seven-time world champion was speaking about his future.
Toto Wolff has several drivers on his radar including youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli who is already on his roster.
He’s not set Formula 2 alight like many expected although it’s still the very early stages of the campaign and the 17-year-old is still adapting to skipping a series to drive alongside Saudi Arabia hero Oliver Bearman for PREMA.
Fernando Alonso is another option that Mercedes will be considering but he’s set to sit down for talks with Aston Martin first before deciding on his future.
Another driver being looked at by multiple teams including Mercedes is Alex Albon and he’s refused to rule out a move to the Silver Arrows this year despite his contract running until the end of 2025.
Mercedes are assessing all their options before replacing Lewis Hamilton
While Mercedes are currently fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, they’ll be confident that they can close the gap to McLaren and potentially even Ferrari in the upcoming races.
Catching Red Bull is likely a step too far this season and teams may need to wait until 2026 until that’s a realistic possibility.
Max Verstappen could move on – albeit that still seems unlikely – while Sergio Perez is doing everything he needs to do to earn a contract extension.
With Ferrari and McLaren’s driver line-up already decided for 2025, it means Hamilton’s vacant seat is the envy of the rest of the grid.
Alex Albon was thought to be out of contract at the end of the year, but Williams’s team principal James Vowles has insisted that’s not the case.
However, the noises Albon is making suggest he’s refused to rule out a potential move for 2025 making Mercedes an enticing option.
He’s also being courted by Red Bull in case they need a new driver for next year and the Thai driver won’t be in any rush to decide.
Alex Albon has refused to rule out 2025 move amid Mercedes interest
Journalist Georgie Tunny said to Albon: “There is a lot of speculation with you right now. I mean, there’s a seat up for grabs at Mercedes.”
The 84-race driver replied: “There is, there’s a few seats going around right now.”
Tunny then asked: “Is there any truth in the rumours that you could be in line for that?”
Albon said: “I would say there’s a lot going on. On my side, my focus is on the team.
“So, all that noise is just noise. It’s great to hear it because it just means that the job I’ve been doing over the past year or so has been positive and people have been paying attention to it.”
Williams have work to do to keep Albon
As Albon has refused to downplay the speculation surrounding him potentially leaving the team for Mercedes or another top manufacturer, Williams will have to speed up their progression to prove to the 27-year-old he’s at the right team.
Vowles has previously said that he would sacrifice any short-term success made this year to make long-term gains.
While that makes perfect sense for the team as a whole, it’s not what Albon will want to hear.
While he enjoys working with the key staff within the team, if they’re not scoring points regularly, then he’ll be forced to consider his options.
Considering Logan Sargeant doesn’t look ready to lead a Formula 1 team and might not even be on the grid next year if his form doesn’t improve, Vowles might end up having to look for a whole new driver pairing.
The post ‘Great to hear’: 84-race driver refuses to rule out 2025 Mercedes move after being linked with Hamilton’s seat appeared first on F1 Oversteer.