Multiple candidates are lining up after new world champion Nico Rosberg shocked the sporting world with the announcement of his retirement.
"Not a lot surprises me, but this did," F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told the German broadcaster NTV.
Mercedes proteges Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon were the early favourites to replace the 31-year-old German.
But Max Verstappen joked on Twitter that he might soon get in touch with Mercedes' Toto Wolff.
"I just made a joke on Twitter," the Dutchman laughed at the FIA prize giving events in Vienna. "I'm very happy with Red Bull Racing, so let's see what we can do next year."
"I would call (Sebastian) Vettel or (Fernando) Alonso," Gerhard Berger, who earlier this year negotiated Rosberg's new contract, told Auto Motor und Sport.
"There will be some exit clauses," he predicted.
However, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone doubted Vettel would want to line up alongside Hamilton, and in 2007 the British triple world champion and Alonso clashed badly at McLaren.
Hamilton said: "I'm interested to see who would want to be my teammate, and respect anyone that would want to."
Mercedes team boss Wolff commented: "We will now take the necessary time and examine all the options and then take the right path for the future."
Biggest names line up for Rosberg's seat
- Published on 03 Dec 2016 13:14
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- By: Fergal Walsh
F1 News
Max Verstappen
Fernando Alonso
Daniel Ricciardo
Nico Rosberg
Sebastian Vettel
Pascal Wehrlein
Esteban Ocon
Mercedes
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Driver profile
- Team Red Bull Racing
- Points 3,453
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- Grand Prix 235
- Country NL
- Date of b. Sep 30 1997 (28)
- Place of b. Hasselt (Belgie), NL
- Weight 70 kg
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- Team name Mercedes
- Base Brackley, Germany
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Nico Rosberg 4
- Nico Rosberg 6
- Michael Schumacher 7
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 9
- Lewis Hamilton 10
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli 12
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- George Russell 63
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- 632,767 comments on Mercedes
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