The run up to Formula 1’s summer break traditionally sees the start of ‘Silly Season’, when rumours about next year’s driver changes are particularly rampant.
The majority of the speculation is usually wide of the mark, but one of the more likely morsels of paddock gossip involves Mercedes replacing Lewis Hamilton’s wingman Valtteri Bottas with young Williams star George Russell.
Mercedes have dominated Formula One since the series began using hybrid power in 2014. The British-based German team have won both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in each of the last seven seasons, often virtually unchallenged. However, that has changed in 2021 with Max Verstappen and Red Bull putting up the stiffest opposition the Silver Arrows have faced.
Why Replace Bottas?
Since joining the team in 2017, Bottas has been on a rolling one-year contract.
The Finn has done enough to help Mercedes retain the constructors championship without ever seriously challenging Hamilton, a situation the team, and seven-time champion Hamilton, have been happy with.
Qualifying day
#VB77 #F1 #FrenchGP @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/1AZ7GHzAXQ
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) June 19, 2021
However, faced with a stronger-than-ever challenge from Verstappen, and with new signing Sergio Perez settling in nicely as Red Bull’s number two, the pressure is on Bottas to deliver more.
And he is not really responding, struggling in midfield in two races and sitting only sixth in the drivers standings after six races.
Who is George Russell?
Casual observers will know George Russell as the man who replaced Hamilton for one race at the end of last season and almost won the Sakhir Grand Prix.
Those same casual observers will point to that as evidence that anyone can win in the fastest car, but rather it demonstrated just how talented a driver Russell is.
For the 23-year-old to jump into an unfamiliar car and lead most of a race was something special.
On his way to F1, Russell won both the GP3 and Formula 2 titles in his only season in each series. And in his 43 races for Williams Russell is yet to be beaten by a teammate in qualifying.
What is Likely to Happen?
Russell is in the final season of a three-year contract at Williams, so if a move is coming this would seem the obvious time.
Mercedes have already seen he has what it takes to at least operate as a competent back-up to Hamilton. But he also has the potential to become a worthy successor to his fellow Brit.
Hamilton has been rumoured to be on the verge of signing a two-year deal to stay at Mercedes. The seven-time world champion will turn 37 before the start of next season, and has stated that he doesn’t intend to still be racing at the age of 40.
Bottas’s options look limited if he is not retained by Mercedes. A return to Williams would be the obvious move, in a straight swap with Russell, which is something Williams chief Jost Capito has admitted he is open to.
But whether Bottas would be willing to move from the dominant team to one which has failed to score a point since 2019 has to be questionable.
*All odds correct at time of writing.