by Alex Johnston & Topher Smith
Despite the rapid rise Andrea Kimi Antonelli has made to Formula 2 - even up to testing F1 machinery with Mercedes - the F2 season so far has been unpredictably brilliant, and as such, Antonelli has not set the championship alight as many thought he would. That leaves Mercedes with a slight issue of who is going to be in their other car as Lewis Hamilton exits the team.
So how do they solve the issue?
Mercedes are evolving back into the race winning, podium scoring and consistent machine we got used to from 2015 to 2021, and so for that they need a good driver. Someone fast, calm, reliable and consistent. Options for the team are beginning to dwindle as 2025 seats fill up fast. So who’s the smart choices?
📸 Antonelli during his F1 test at the Red Bull Ring.
Alex’s choice - Sebastian Vettel
I promise I’m not just doing this because I want to see Vettel at least one more time or because I want to please the masses. There’s logic behind this choice.
Firstly, German team, German driver very much goes hand in hand. Secondly and perhaps most importantly, he’s available. He’s been sat out two years by the end of the season but class is permanent and there’s none quite as classy as the beloved-by-many Vettel.
📸 You’ll be hard pressed to find an F1 fan with no admiration for Vettel.
Further points to choosing the 37 year old - he brings race winning knowledge and experience, he provides a short term fix as Mercedes prepare for life with young Antonelli in their car and would provide a sort of ‘coach’ for the young Italian Antonelli as well as George Russell who isn’t quite yet the finished article in terms of being a driver.
📸 “and they were..” teammates?
Besides all that…Vettel currently sits on 299 race starts in F1 - ticking over 300 seems much more satisfying…do the right thing Mercedes, please?
The fans are ready for it.
Topher’s choice - Nico Hülkenberg
He may already have a Sauber/Audi contract in his back pocket, but if Nico Hülkenberg is presented with the opportunity to join Mercedes he should grab it with both hands.
I've always been a firm believer that Hülkenberg should have been given his chance at a top team, and the German nearly did get that chance with Ferrari for 2014 but supposedly his height went against him.
📸 9cm of height was rumoured to be the difference between Nico Hülkenberg and getting a Ferrari drive.
A champion of GP2 with buckets of talent at his disposal, I feel as though Hülkenberg is being wasted in the midfield and his recent point-scoring finishes for the lowly Haas team prove what he is made of. Also bear in mind that he could have won the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix in a Force India!
📸 Hulkenberg leads the Brazilian Grand Prix(behind the safety car) before his fortunes changed.
Mercedes is a championship-winning team that would undoubtedly be a good fit for Hülkenberg with his nationality also likely to lean towards good integration.
Put him in the Mercedes, and he will almost certainly shake that unwanted podium record.
📸 Hulkenberg’s last podium was at Le Mans in 2015 - before that…the final round of the 2009 GP2 championship at Autodromo Algarve!
Linus’s choice - Carlos Sainz
For me, Andrea Kimi Antonelli isn’t quite ready for a Mercedes seat yet which is why I think they should try and bring in Carlos Sainz, my favourite answer to everything!
It’s common knowledge that Sainz is without a drive in 2025 after Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton as his replacement, and it’s pretty clear that Sainz is waiting for a much stronger team to come in for him rather than settling for a Williams or Kick Sauber. Sainz is a three-time Grand Prix winner, he’s currently fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, and he is by far the best free agent in the sport.
📸 Is Sainz the best option for any team just now?
Another thing to note is Mercedes’ upswing in performance. Had they actually stayed as the fourth fastest car, I think bringing in Kimi Antonelli would be a smart move. However, the German manufacturer clearly has a car that can win for the next 18 months and can probably compete for the Constructors’ Championship next season. However, to do that, they need two top drivers, and Sainz alongside George Russell feels like a winning recipe!
📸 Image credits: Sky Sports, Mercedes AMG F1 Team, Formula Motorsport Limited.
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