Guenther Steiner predicts two more F1 2025 drivers with Hamilton replacement found

Mercedes will sign Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement for the F1 2025 season, with Valtteri Bottas being retained by Audi after the Sauber team missed out on Carlos Sainz.

That is the prediction of former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who reckons Bottas is the “best driver available” to Sauber after Sainz signed a two-year contract to join Williams from F1 2025.

Guenther Steiner hints at Lewis Hamilton replacement

The driver market has seen a number of developments this week, with Sainz committing to Williams, and Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo being retained by Red Bull and VCARB respectively following the summer break after a mid-season review.

Outside of the two Red Bull-affiliated teams, just three seats remain unconfirmed for F1 2025 with vacancies still open at Mercedes, Alpine and Sauber, who will become Audi in time for the 2026 regulation changes.

F2 driver Antonelli, 17, has long been regarded as the frontrunner to replace Ferrari-bound Hamilton for next season if Mercedes are unable to tempt reigning Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull.

Key details: F1 driver market

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Appearing on the Red Flags podcast , ex-Haas boss Steiner claimed Antonelli will be signed as George Russell’s team-mate for F1 2025.

And he expects Bottas, who claimed 10 wins in a five-year spell with Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, to be retained as Nico Hulkenberg’s team-mate at Sauber, with no place at Hinwil for current incumbent Zhou Guanyu.

Steiner said: “I think Kimi Antonelli is going to Mercedes, its sounds to me.

“Who’s going now to Sauber? I think they will keep Bottas, I guess. As Audi, you need to get the best driver available. Alpine also need the best driver available.

“Bottas has won a lot of races in his career. At the moment, he just cannot show it because the car does not let him do it, but otherwise he was always a good driver. [Hulkenberg and Bottas] are both good racers.”

Alpine are looking for a replacement for Esteban Ocon, who announced earlier this month that he will become Oliver Bearman’s team-mate in a new-look Haas driver lineup for F1 2025.

Steiner revealed that Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore has opened the door for a number of candidates – including outgoing Haas star Kevin Magnussen and Alpine-affiliated pair Jack Doohan and Mick Schumacher – to become Pierre Gasly’s new team-mate.

Steiner was heavily criticised for his treatment of Schumacher, the son of seven-time World Champion, during the German’s previous stint racing in F1 with Haas across 2021/22.

He said: “We interviewed Flavio on the grid for [German television station] RTL and my colleague asked Flavio.

“‘Everybody’s in the race for that seat,’ he said. ‘Everybody.’

“That was his answer, so I just have to repeat what Flavio told me so I have no opinion.

“K-Mag [Magnussen] could be an option. They’ve got Jack Doohan, they’ve got Mick Schumacher.

“[Don’t ask me about Schumacher] because otherwise I’ll get abuse and [won’t be able to] sleep again.”

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