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Why Mercedes has an F1 driver conundrum

With two juniors already racing in Formula 1, Mercedes is well-stocked on the driver front. But where to put them presents a headache - and one British rising star will soon be increasing that pain

Alex Kalinauckas Nov 9, 2017, 10:39 AM

When it comes to Formula 1 drivers, Mercedes has rather an abundance of riches. Not only does it have a newly-minted four-time Formula 1 world champion in the shape of Lewis Hamilton, it also has Valtteri Bottas, currently closing in on second in the 2017 points standings, Esteban Ocon, getting better with each race at Force India, and Pascal Wehrlein, still Sauber's sole points scorer this year.

But Mercedes is about to have a driver problem - albeit a good one - thanks to the performances of another star on its books: up-and-coming Briton George Russell. He has just won the 2017 GP3 title and will make his grand prix weekend debut in Brazil on Friday.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.