By Harry Freemantle

Mercedes are on the search for a replacement after Lewis Hamilton’s departure (GettyImages)

Seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season to join Ferrari to replace the outgoing Carlos Sainz, whose contract expires at the end of the year.

Mercedes believed they had the 7-time world champion until the end of 2025, after signing a new contract in 2023. With the shocking departure of Hamilton, a year earlier than expected, Mercedes is now questioning who they can sign to replace the Brit. Here is a list of potential candidates for the German team.

Carlos Sainz

Now that Carlos Sainz knows he will no longer be required at Ferrari, the 29-year-old will be doing everything he can to find himself a new team. A swap deal with Hamilton going to Ferrari and Sainz going to Mercedes could be possible, as Mercedes wouldn't have to worry about breaking a contract to get him.

With Sainz, you know what you are getting. He is a consistent driver, quick over one lap with a decent race pace to back it up. At McLaren, Sainz comfortably beat Lando Norris in the standings in 2019, finishing 6th with 96 points. He finished ahead of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon despite both driving for Red Bull for a good portion of the season, whereas Lando Norris hit only 49 points, finishing 11th overall. Despite a slow start to the season in 2020, Sainz beat Norris again, this time by 105 points to 97. He was a lot closer, but he still bested Norris. He ended his stint with his first two career podiums at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix and the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.

During his time at Ferrari, Sainz has picked up two wins at the 2022 British Grand Prix and the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, being the only driver to win a race that wasn't a Red Bull Driver in 2023. He also managed to be quite competitive compared to teammate Charles Leclerc, as Sainz finished ahead of Leclerc in 2021, scoring 164.5 points compared to Leclerc's 159 points. Leclerc did better than Sainz in 2022 and 2023; however, Sainz was not significantly off his Monegasque teammate.

In a recent statement, Sainz said: "Following today's news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024.

"We still have a long season ahead of us, and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and the Tifosi all around the world.

"News about my future will be announced in due course."

Sainz has hinted that his future has already been secured, but it has yet to be confirmed where the Spaniard will end up. Being a two-time race winner would make him a suitable candidate for the vacant Mercedes seat.

Alex Albon

Alex Albon has revived his career since joining Williams in 2022. Max Verstappen may have destroyed him while at Red Bull, but

that does not mean he is a bad driver. Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, and now Sergio Perez have all suffered the same fate.

Since taking a year out of Formula One, Albon has decimated both Nicholas Latifi and Logan Sargeant, including dominating over Sargeant in qualifying 22-0 in the 2023 season. In 2023, Albon's points alone were enough to lift Williams from P10 in the Constructors standings up to P7.

Although it may be a risky option for the Silver Arrows, Albon could make an excellent addition to the team.

Fernando Alonso

Undoubtedly, the best driver on the list, Fernando Alonso, is a two-time Formula One World Champion with 106 podiums and 22 pole positions. Despite being 42 years old, Alonso finished 4th in the Driver's Championship in 2023 in the car that finished 5th in the Constructor's Championship, picking up eight podiums along the way, including fighting for wins at the Monaco Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix.

Signing Alonso may come with its problems. With the departure of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell will want to become the main driver at Mercedes. Alonso would only sign if given the first driver's status. In his eyes, he is nobody's number two.

Another problem that may arise is getting Alonso to leave Aston Martin. Mercedes is declining as they went from winning eight Constructors titles in a row to not being close. This is the opposite of Aston Martin, as they appear to be rising, going from lower midfield in 2022 to podium contenders in 2023. With the Honda engine deal arriving in 2026, Aston Martin would have to have a nightmare season for Alonso to consider looking elsewhere.

Esteban Ocon

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff once managed Alpine driver Esteban Ocon. Wolff supported Esteban Ocon throughout his junior career, including giving him a drive at Manor in 2016 and his seat at Force India in 2017.

Although since Ocon and Wolff left each other, Wolff now needs a driver to fill at Mercedes earlier than expected. Ocon's contract expires in 2024, and Alpine has been mediocre since joining the Enstone team in 2020; the highest finish was fourth place in 2022. Since then, they've been left by Aston Martin and McLaren to be alone in the midfield, finishing just sixth in the standings.

Signing Ocon would be simple; however, he has a reputation for falling out with teammates, with Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso displeased with the Frenchman. Tension could rise between Russell and Ocon, leaving a sticky situation internally.

Kimi Antonelli

Despite Kimi Antonelli being just 17 years old, he is one of the most exciting drivers in motorsport right now. Last year, Antonelli won the Formula Regional European Championship comfortably with a 39-point gap to second. Mercedes see Antonelli as a serious talent as they decided that he would skip Formula 3 and go straight to Formula 2 driving, for the Prema outfit.

Antonelli must get the super license points to compete in Formula One. However, should Mercedes allow Antonelli into the team early on, they could benefit long-term. Integrating Antonelli into the team whilst allowing him to develop would be like how Red Bull integrated Max Verstappen while Daniel Ricciardo was the number one driver.

It'll be interesting to see who will end up at Mercedes, as after twelve seasons at the team, Lewis Hamilton has finally left the Silver Arrows.

Who will Mercedes sign to replace Hamilton?