As we all know, Sebastian Vettel will be departing F1 next season and while we will all miss him, the show must go on. Here are some of the drivers that will be considered to take his place on the grid next season.
Mick Schumacher: The odds on favorite has to be Mick Schumacher. In his first season, Schumacher struggled but it wasn't because of his driving ability, it was due to Haas and the VF-21 and it's lack of speed This year with an upgraded car and a year of experience under his belt, the second generation driver has rattled off some impressive runs including a career best finish of 6th at the Redbull Ring in Austria. The biggest advantage that Mick has is his relationship with team owner Lawrence Stroll. He's been a huge supporter of Mick ever since his karting days. This is the driver that Vettel believes should be his successor. I would imagine Stroll will make an offer.
Nyck De Vires: There has been a lot twists and turns for the young Dutch driver with a lot of waiting along the way. He has done just about everything one would need to do to be in F1, he's won a title in F2 and Formula E but for some reason no one has given him a chance. He finally found a little bit of stability as a test/reserve driver for both Williams and Mercedes. Some have even touted him as a protentional Lewis Hamilton successor but the writing is on the wall, he needs to be racing. He has shown a lot of promise driving in Free Practice sessions and a lot of the drivers seem to really think he's good enough to be racing with him. Even if it doesn't work out and he doesn't get the seat at Aston-Martin, lets hope a team gives him a chance and lets him develop and he doesn't have a trajectory similar to his Formula E counterpart, Stoffel Vandroone.
Daniel Ricciardo: Ever since leaving Red Bull back in 2019, It has truly been a whirlwind for one of F1's most popular drivers. He has been consistently scoring points and finishing around the top five but has only scored one victory since then. Personally, this is who I would pick. His driving style is similar to Vettel's as a hard charger that can get through the field. With his current team McLaren looking to build for the future with IndyCar stars Pato O'Ward or Alex Palou and Lando Norris looking like he's the #1 driver, this would be a great change of scenery for the Australian driver.
Fernando Alonso: This one's a bit of a tough one. When asked, he has stated that he wants to stay with his current team Alpine but as we have seen before, people change their minds sometimes. I personally believe that he has done all he can do with this team and his teammate Esteban Ocon is their future but there's history here. This is the team where he won his two titles back in '05 and '06, he loves this place. It will take a lot to make him leave but with Lawrence Stroll's deep pockets, he will definitely keep Alonso close to fill this seat.