Who will peplace Lewis Hamilton for this weekend’s Sakir Grand Prix?

A positive COVID-19 test has started a driver selection headache for at least two teams.

Mercedes will be without seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton this weekend at the Sakir Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday following the Bahrain Grand Prix. We have a look at the drivers Toto Wolf could be considering to partner Valterri Bottas.

Mercedes preparations for the Sakir Grand Prix have been dealt a huge blow following the announcement that Hamilton, race winner last time out in the Bahrain Grand Prix will not be in the car for Sunday’s race around the oval track.

This is not the first race weekend this season to have seen a driver withdraw from an event because of a positive COVID-19 test. Racing Point’s Sergio Perez missed both the British and 70^th Anniversary Grand Prix’s at Silverstone and was replaced by Nico Hulkenburg for the two events.

Perez’s teammate Lance Stroll withdrew from the Effel Grand Prix in Germany after thinking he had the virus but turned out to be a stomach bug. Super sub Hulkenburg once again came forward to save the day and replace Stroll.

The reigning champion made a statement on his social media accounts and was gutted he was missing the penultimate round of the season.

Haas unlike Mercedes made a quick decision that Pietro Fittipaldi, the grandson of two time world champion Emerson FIttipaldi, the American teams reserve driver will replace Romain Grosjean for the race weekend following his horrific crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Let’s look through the leading candidates for Hamilton’s seat for the race weekend.

George Russell

Russell is in pole position to get the best seat on the grid. The Williams driver who has been part of the Mercedes set up since 2017 has been on loan to Williams since the 2019 season. The 22-year-old British driver is highly regarded by the Silver Arrows for the future.

Russell who has impressed on a Saturday by consistently putting his car in to the second qualifying session has missed out on claiming his first points finish of his career in multiple races this season. Russell would have been promoted to the Silver Arrows for the 2021 but ended up retaining Bottas for next season. If Russell was selected to partner Bottas for the race it would give Mercedes a chance to evaluate him for a race seat in 2022.

Could the Mercedes seat bring Russell his first points and podium of his career if Williams do release him to race for the team? He will be back with the back-markers for 2021 as he is still under contract by the team. If Russell does join Mercedies Williams would need to find a replacement driver.

Stoffel Vandoorne

The teams reserve driver who could be back in a Formula One car for the first time since leaving McLaren and the sport at the end of the 2018 season. Vandoorne races in the teams Formula E outfit could fly in from Spain where Formula E testing is taking place to replace Hamilton. Teammate to both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso with his time at the McLaren so gained valuable experience working alongside the two world champions.

Vandoorne is a part of the test and development team at the Silver Arrows and could be the first driver the call upon if Toto Wolf does not land Williams driver Russell.

Nico Hulkenburg

Formula One’s super sub this season was called upon not once, not twice but three times by Racing Point to replace Perez and Stroll after they both withdrew from events this season. Hulkenburg who grabbed his maiden pole for WIlliams in the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix is still waiting for his first podium in the sport. If Mercedes come calling for the German’s services it would only be fitting to take his maiden podium in the Silver Arrows. If Russell does get the nod to race for the Silver Arrows, the German must be in the running to return to the team where his Formula One career began a decade ago.

Fernando Alonso

Could the Alpine driver for 2021 be back on the grid sooner than we expected. Alonso has been testing the 2018 Renault ahead of his return next season but could Mercedes pull the cat out of the bag and hand Alonso his first race start in two years before his full time return to the sport next season.

If Alonso does return it certainty would leave fans wanting to see more from him and would be a way of announcing his full time return to the sport for next season. Alonso has the most experience on this and his two world championships from 2005 and 2006 would be the answer to Mercedes problems. The move would only happen if WIlliams will not release Russell for the weekend. It would be a great audition for him ahead of his return to the Alpine team next season.

If Mercedes do get Russell for the race Williams would have to find another driver to replace him for the round. Williams could call upon Formula Two driver and the teams reserve driver Dan Ticktum who would have to miss the final round of the championship to compete for Williams.

Hulkenburg could be another driver that races for WIlliams if Mercedes get Russell and fail to land TIcktum from his Formula Two contract.

Whoever Mercedes chooses to drive for them in round 16 of 17 of the World Championship could lead to more driver selection headache for the Williams team.

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