Despite Esteban Ocon’s “Strong Links” With Mercedes, Foe Pierre Gasly Declared Lewis Hamilton’s Perfect Replacement

Before anyone could even think about it, Lewis Hamilton blew the 2024 F1 silly season wide open with his blockbuster move to Ferrari. Now, all anyone can do is talk about the repercussions and his replacement is one of the main topics of discussion. People have different views on who should succeed the seven-time world champion at Mercedes. Some drivers have even subtly showcased a desire to join the Brackley outfit, like Esteban Ocon recently did. However, according to the ex-Ferrari boss, his old foe and current teammate Pierre Gasly is better suited for the second seat.

For the unaware, Ocon was once a Mercedes reserve driver after he found himself without a drive for the 2019 season. He was also considered a possible replacement for the then-Mercedes man Valtteri Bottas. However, Ocon chose to join Renault (now Alpine) to secure a drive for the 2020 season. This is exactly what he pointed out while discussing the currently vacant Mercedes seat for 2025. “You know, I’ve always had strong links with Mercedes,” Ocon told reporters at the team’s 2024 car launch.

However, Peter Windsor has different views on the matter and believes Pierre Gasly is a better replacement. When asked, “Do you think Gasly would be a good fit for the second Mercedes seat?” on his live stream, he expressed his opinion.

He replied, “I do! I’ve mentioned this before and again I seem to be a lone voice but I often include Gasly in the tier just below those top three I talk about often, Lewis, Max, and Charles. I think Gasly is getting quicker and better and more confident all the time and I think he’s a really really racing driver.”

“Gasly and (George) Russell would be a very very strong team in my opinion. It might happen and it would obviously be a much easier deal to do politically and financially to get Gasly out of Alpine into a Mercedes,” he added.

Read More: When Esteban Ocon Beat Max Verstappen to Receive a “Special” Ferrari Gift

Windsor’s opinion shatters Ocon’s hopes but we won’t can’t rule anything or anybody out until final decisions are made. F1 entities are excellent at keeping secrets. For proof, let us tell you about the piece of information Gasly had tight under wraps.

Pierre Gasly had the Lewis Hamilton bombshell under wraps despite prior knowledge

Not many saw the Hamilton to Ferrari news coming, not even his team. This was surprising because there was no information leak even in the highly intrusive world of F1. However, oddly enough, Pierre Gasly was perhaps one of the very few people to have this piece of information well before the news broke out. He recently confessed his prior knowledge to the media.

“I was aware of some talks with Ferrari. Ultimately he (Hamilton) is towards the end of his career, so it was either now or never,” said Gasly. “I think it was kept secret for quite a long time. I wish him the best.”

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With this confession one can be sure even if Gasly is already in talks with Mercedes or knows who is, we won’t hear a peep, at least from him. However, who do you think will be the right fit for the Brackley outfit?