Mercedes have a huge decision ahead of them as they search for the perfect Lewis Hamilton replacement for next year.
It’s not going to be easy to replace one of the greatest racing drivers in Formula 1 history and the man who helped propel Mercedes to the front of the grid.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, F1 expert and former team manager Peter Windsor has been discussing the position.
Although Mercedes aren’t in the same dominant position as they have been for much of Lewis Hamilton’s time with the team, they’re still on the right side of the divide in the grid right now.
Half the teams in the paddock are typically fighting over a single point while everyone else should be guaranteed a top-ten finish every weekend.
Toto Wolff has his sights aimed high and Max Verstappen appears to be his main target to replace Hamilton.
Youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli is also being lined up given the excitement around his progression through the junior formulas.
However, Wolff has been urged by Peter Windsor to go in a different direction and thinks he should consider Nico Hulkenberg as a serious option for 2025.
The 36-year-old driver is very experienced and has already raced 210 times in Formula 1.
He’s still chasing that maiden podium and a stint with the Silver Arrows – even if he’s just a stop-gap – would give him his best chance to date to end that wait.
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Nico Hulkenberg should be considered an option for Mercedes – Windsor
There are a few drivers who might fancy their chances of partnering George Russell next season if Verstappen decides to stick with Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso will be on Mercedes’s radar but if he has aspirations to prolong his stay in F1, he may be better off considering signing another contract at Aston Martin who could continue to build the team around him.
Carlos Sainz will be in the conversation and might end up being the top candidate once Verstappen declares his next step.
Both Alpine drivers – Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly – might have an outside shot of earning the seat, while a return to Mercedes for Valtteri Bottas is apparently in the ‘realms of possibility’.
However, Windsor believes that Mercedes should consider Nico Hulkenberg as an option for next year.
He’s already got more points on the board than the three drivers listed above combined.
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Could Nico Hulkenberg finally get his long-awaited chance in a top F1 team?
Asked whether Hulkenberg would be perfect for Mercedes, Windsor said: “He wouldn’t be bad for Mercedes would he?
“I mean he’s quick in qualifying, he does the job, we do, but does anybody in the Formula 1 pit lane or paddock actually rate him? Does his name get mentioned by anybody? I doubt it.
“He’s not flavour of the month, he’s not a trendy driver which more is the pity.”
It seems harsh to suggest that Hulkenberg isn’t rated within the paddock, especially after the first race of the 2024 season.
He earned widespread praise for managing to qualify in the top ten in Bahrain in a Haas that at the time was widely expected to be one of the slowest cars on the grid.
Hulkenberg is much more likely to join Audi – currently Sauber – next season than Mercedes but if he’s an option for Wolff then suddenly he might have to reconsider.
After more than a decade in Formula 1, Hulkenberg would finally be given the chance to regularly race at the front of the grid.
The 36-year-old may be able to end his long wait to spray champagne over the paddock from the podium as a result.
The post ‘He's quick’: Peter Windsor says 210-race driver the paddock doesn’t rate would be strong Mercedes 2025 option appeared first on F1 Oversteer.