6 Formula 1 Drivers Who Could Replace Felipe Massa At Williams

After 14 seasons of racing in Formula 1, Felipe Massa will retire from the series at the end of this year. We’ll miss his cheeky sense of humour, memorable team radio messages and on-track antics, but his departure does open up a seat at a competitive team for 2017. Let’s take a look at who could potentially replace him.

1. Felipe Nasr

The Brazilian hasn’t done a particularly eye-catching job so far in his season and a half with the Sauber team, but with such a poor car, that’s not particularly surprising. Nasr was previously a reserve driver at Williams and has a strong relationship with the team.

He took part in several FP1 sessions and tests, so it wouldn’t take long for him to feel right at home. Williams is an independent team and has slipped down the pecking order a bit in 2016. Budget is crucial and Nasr comes with considerable sponsorship from Banco do Brasil, which could prove handy.

2. Alex Lynn

The British driver has an outside chance at an F1 seat. He’s suffered an inconsistent year and a half in the GP2 series, but has shown flashes of speed and is currently a development driver at Williams. The team has a history of promoting young drivers from within and if he has a strong end to 2016, he could be in with a shot. But there are certainly safer options out there.

3. Sergio Perez

Force India is working hard to retain Perez for 2017 but the Mexican’s stock has risen in recent years and it seems several teams are interested in signing him. Renault is an option, but Williams could provide Perez with a great shot at fighting regularly at the front (if the team gets the new 2017 regs right).

Perez has overshadowed the highly-rated Nico Hulkenberg at Force India and has scored two podiums so far this season. He’s proved his talent many times and would definitely be a good option for Williams - especially with Jenson Button’s future being confirmed.

4. Pascal Wehrlein

Wehrlein is a Mercedes young driver and Williams runs with Mercedes power. So a move to Williams isn’t out of the question for Wehrlein and it would make sense. It’s likely Williams will be a good step ahead of Manor in 2017 and it would be a good jump for Wehrlein, who has already impressed so far in his rookie campaign.

5. Lance Stroll

Like Lynn, Stroll has an outside shot at a Williams seat. He’s also a development driver for the team and is currently leading the way in the highly-competitive European Formula 3 championship. He’s improved his reputation immensely over the last eight months or so, but he’d be a shock addition to the Williams driver line-up if he was chosen.

6. Pastor Maldonado

OK, you knew this one would appear at some point. But in fairness, Maldonado previously raced for Williams and scored the team’s last F1 victory at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. He’s keen to return to F1 and there’s already a link there. Stranger things have happened…

What do you think? Let us know who you want to see at Williams in the comments!