Now that Hamilton is leaving Mercedes, many are wondering what this means for the 2024 season. With the 7 time champion set to race for Ferrari from 2025, Mercedes fans will get to see Lewis Hamilton drive for them one last season. And alongside him will be George Russell. While they head into their last season together, Hamilton had a few words to say to his teammate.

Hamilton will join Charles Leclerc in Ferrari, replacing Carlos Sainz. But before making the switch, Lewis is hyping up his teammate so he can end his time with the Silver Arrows with a bang.

Hamilton prepares for his last season with Mercedes

Although George Russell is currently not in focus of the media, he is preparing for a great 2024 season. After coming in for Hamilton in the 2020 season to earn his first points in F1, Russell made the switch from Williams in 2022, replacing Valtteri Bottas. Now with Hamilton’s recently announced impending switch, George Russell made a post on Instagram to tribute to his teammates last season with Mercedes.

Over the years, the two racers have shared a special bond, but as they say, everything is fair in love and Formula 1, and George has come to terms that he will have a new teammate after Hamilton leaves. George took to Instagram and posted a picture with the whole team. The second picture in the carousel was one of him and Hamilton sitting in a water bucket while having a drink. The picture was captioned “It’s been special racing alongside you, @lewishamilton. Let’s make this season one to remember.”

To this touching post, Lewis Hamilton replied “Thank you George. It’s been a fun.” But the 9 words that sent waves across the community were “We still have a lot of work to do,” and Hamilton ended with “let’s make it a great year!”

With this, the two racers are preparing to have an action-packed season together. Although Lewis is set to leave Mercedes for Ferrari, he is ready to have a great final year. Though Mercedes finished second in the constructors and Hamilton came third in the drivers standings, the gap to the leaders was astounding. It’s safe to say Mercedes haven’t really looked themselves for a couple of seasons now. But with Hamilton set to bid Mercedes adieu at the end of this season, it’s safe to expect nothing less from the English duo. However, this is just half the story.

Hamilton’s departure raises lot of questions. We know he will replace Sainz at Ferrari. But who will replace him?

Sainz, Alonso and more- Potential replacements of Hamilton for Mercedes

Currently, Toto Wolff is in a fix with whom he would like to bring into the team. Now that Hamilton is leaving, George will become the main focus of the team. Although he stood 8th in the 2023 season, with the star driver moving on, George is being prep’d up to take on a more integral role in the team. Having said that, let’s look at some potential replacements for Hamilton.

Alex Albon, dubbed the ‘backbone’ of the Williams team, showcased an impressive performance in 2023. Despite rumors linking him to a return to Red Bull, a move to Mercedes could be mutually beneficial, especially considering Red Bull’s treatment of Albon in the past.

Another great candidate would be Fernando Alonso as the 43-year-old driver already has 2 World Champion titles under his belt. 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Alonso would be a great replacement, not only for his experience but also because with Russell probably set to become their main driver, they can’t possibly have another driver in their prime. When asked on his thoughts, he reportedly said, “Fernando Alonso. That would be fantastic.” He further added, “Also because you cannot take another young driver like Russell, not at Mercedes.”

With rumors of Alonso to Mercedes emerging, Ted Kravitz reported “Fernando Alonso’s inner circle and Toto Wolff had contact in the last few hours. Alonso is awaiting to see Aston Martin‘s progress in 2024 before deciding anything.” Since Alonso’s contract with Aston Martin is up at the end of the  2024 season, surely how his season plays out will be instrumental should there be truth to these rumors.

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Although most of the names thrown around are veteran drivers, Andrea Kimi Antonelli a 17-year-old Italian who is a part of the Mercedes Junior Team can also replace Lewis. While he will drive for PREMA Racing in Formula 2 in 2024, his F1 debut at 18 is uncertain. Speaking about Antonelli, Toto Wolff reportedly said, “I think most important at this stage is that he concentrates on F2. I think if we start to spin his mind or unleash rumours in the media on to him, that’s not going to help his F2 campaign.” The youngster certainly has a case to make, having won titles already, including the Italian and German F4 championship.

While there is no word, another scenario many would have surely imagined is a switch! Could Carlos Sainz move to Mercedes? There’s no reason why it’s not possible. Albeit, Sainz could also be an option for Red Bull with Perez’s contract also up after the upcoming season. Should Perez’s contract not be renewed, Red Bull could be an option, although Ricciardo could take the spot instead.

The last potential candidate becomes Mick Schumacher, the Son of Michael Schumacher and Mercedes reserve driver. Despite his WEC role with Alpine, a move to F1 is possible. His uncle, Ralf Schumacher, supports the idea of having Mick alongside Russell, but his past seasons with Haas don’t help his case, finishing 19th and 16th in the standings.

That being said, Lewis Hamilton is ready to race his final chapter with Mercedes. Do you think the switch to Ferrari is what Lewis needs to bring home the 8th World Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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