Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle has picked out his favourites to replace Sebastian Vettel when he retires at the end of the season.
Aston Martin must begin their search for a new driver following the four-time world champion's announcement on Thursday. Lance Stroll is expected to continue with the team owned by his billionaire father, but there will still be a spot to fill when Vettel departs.
A few names have already been mentioned in connection with the empty seat, including some already on the grid. Daniel Ricciardo has been hinted at given his struggles with McLaren, but the Australian was quick to shut down any talk of a move to Aston Martin.
Brundle has put his money on Nyck de Vries to take the empty seat. The Dutchman is reserve driver for Mercedes and took part in FP1 in France last weekend in place of Lewis Hamilton, though afterwards Toto Wolff admitted the team is likely to let him leave to search for a seat elsewhere.
If Aston Martin want an option with more experience, then an alternative could be former Red Bull driver Alexander Albon whose current contract with Williams is only for one year. "The discussion is immediately, 'who is going to take Seb's place at Aston Martin next?' That's the mindset of this business," said Brundle
"I think Fernando [Alonso] is pretty nailed on at Alpine. [Oscar] Piastri I think is more likely to end up at Williams. Albon? My guess is if Ricciardo stays put at McLaren then Albon or de Vries [will join Aston Martin]."
Team principal Mike Krack was keen to keep Vettel on board, and feels whoever replaces the German will benefit from his work in helping the team to become more competitive. "We have all learned from him, and the knowledge that we have gained from working with him will continue to benefit our team long after his departure," he said.
"Aston Martin is a great project, with unlimited potential, and the groundwork that Sebastian has done last year, and is still doing this year, is crucial. When we become fully competitive – and we will – one of the architects of that future success will be Sebastian, and we will always be grateful to him for that."
