Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher suggested his nephew Mick Schumacher will be one of the best options for the seat in Mercedes when it comes to young candidates.
Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari means Toto Wolff will have to pick up his phone and call a few drivers over the course of the next year.
While he says his focus right now is on 2024, the team principal will have to find a suitable replacement for the seven-time World Champion, which won't be an easy task. Ralf Schumacher wrote in his column for Sky Germany:
"There won't be quite so many candidates [for the seat]. It's a question of what Toto Wolff wants to do. Russell, if he doesn't make any mistakes, is certainly capable of following in Lewis' footsteps and leading the team."
Many former F1 drivers agree that Russell is ready to take over Hamilton's role of leading Mercedes, so perhaps it would be an excellent time to find some young driver with great potential who could still learn more from the 25-year-old.
"The question now is whether to go for experience or bring in new, young people. Mick would certainly be one of the best options in the young field, but of course, there is also Carlos Sainz on the market, even if I think he is more likely to end up at Audi."
On the other hand, Mercedes is one of the top teams that want to compete for the Championship, and for that, the team needs two very consistent drivers.
The problem is Schumacher failed to show consistency during his time at Haas, where he made many mistakes and didn't even clearly outperform Kevin Magnussen. Schumacher continued;
"I think Mick's chances are good and I think he deserves the chance. Alongside Russell, he would be a man to build up for the future."
Toto Wolff said he believed the 24-year-old deserved a seat in Formula 1. Now that he has the chance to give Schumacher his opportunity, it will be interesting to see how he decides. Former F1 driver added:
"I'm pretty confident about that, now Toto Wolff just has to be of the same opinion. But so far I've only heard positive things about Mick from him."
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