Valtteri Bottas has been named as an ideal temporary solution to replac🃏e Lewis Hamilton.

Mercedes arꦛe seeking a new driver to sit alongside Georಌge Russell in 2025 when Hamilton goes to Ferrari.

And their search could take them to Bott♑as, who was Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate for five seasons, it has bee♎n claimed.

Max Verstappen♓ is their No1 dream option but thei♚r junior driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, is also a very real possibility.

“Toto wants Antonelli at Mercedes long-term,” FIA press conference host Tom Clar🃏kson said on the  podc𝔍ast.

“It’s just a question of: is he going to be ready in 2025 or does he get given to another team to le⛎arn the ropes, then comes back to Mer🍎cedes in a few years?”

Mercedes could opt to throw tꦡhe 17-year-old prodigy into their car immed⛄iately.

But, if they decide he needs more time before graduating from Formula 2, then they would need another solutio🍒n for 2025.

“Mercedes will be looking for a one-year stopgap, ꦆin my book,” Clarkson said.

“That doesn’t appeal to Carlos Sainz who will want a longer🌄-term ꦉcontract.

“I wonder whether Bottas could be that stopgap for Mercedes i🅺n 2025.

“He knows the te♍am very well. He has won 10 races.

“It will be a much better option for him than anythingꦛ else that’s on the co𝔍ntract.

“If Bottas 🤡goes to Mercedes, then Sainz’s options become Red Bull or Audi.

“I think he will look longer-term and think ‘Audi is a better long-teꦇrm bet than Red Bull beca🎉use of all the changes and the commitment of Audi, and the question marks around Red Bull Powertrains’.”

Bottas knows that he has only a 50-50 chance of re🃏taining his Sauber drive for 2025, because Haas’ Ni🦩co Hulkenberg has already been confirmed.

Either Bottas or Guanyu Zhou - and perhaps bothꦓ - may need to survey their options to stay in 🅠Formula 1 next season.

Haas now have a vacancy but will report𓂃edly prioritise Ollie Bearman.