Where would Hamilton, Verstappen & Co go if F1 DISAPPEARED?

Formula 1 has always been viewed as the pinnacle of motorsport but what if it were to cease to exist right now? Where would the grid get their racing fix?

Thankfully, there are endless options all around the world for this hypothetical scenario and they would all find some form of motorsport to get their teeth stuck into.

But who would go where? Let's dive in, shall we?

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Max Verstappen - Sim Racing

Verstappen won't race anywhere if he doesn't see a good chance to win, so he may stay in his lane and go into professional sim racing.

He already has big wins in endurance events with Team Redline, and going full-time on the sim could see him thrive even more.

Sergio Perez - IMSA

Many of the current F1 grid may look to endurance racing if they ever leave the sport and Perez is certainly one who could make that transition.

But he may want to return closer to home and live in Mexico, which would make the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship in North America an obvious choice.

Lewis Hamilton - British Touring Cars

We've gone bold! Lewis Hamilton may have his own team in Extreme E but he seems more than happy to continue as the boss rather than get behind the wheel.

He could look closer to home, with brother Nic Hamilton racing in the British Touring Car Championship for a family reunion on home soil.

George Russell - Formula E

Russell is one of those drivers you can only really imagine in a single-seater racing car, and that gives him two clear options: Formula E or IndyCar.

The Brit enjoys living close to home, which would make a campaign across the pond very difficult and leave the electric series as his natural home.

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Charles Leclerc - World Endurance Championship

Should F1 disappear, Ferrari would do anything to keep Leclerc in their stable and that might mean moving him to the World Endurance Championship.

The Scuderia's new Hypercar programme presents a perfect landing spot for the Monagasque.

Carlos Sainz - World Rally Championship

It might be unimaginative, but wouldn't it be incredible to see Sainz Jr try to follow in his father's footsteps?

Sainz Sr is a two-time World Rally champion and could have worlds of knowledge to pass on to his son if he made the move.

Fernando Alonso - IndyCar

This is perhaps one of the more straightforward paths to plot out because Alonso has made no secret of his desire to win the Triple Crown.

All he needs is the Indianapolis 500 and a full-time ride in IndyCar gives him a great chance to do that.

Lance Stroll - World Endurance Championship

Aston Martin may look to enter the Hypercar class soon with their Valkyrie, and Lawrence Stroll won't want his son racing for anyone else.

Taking a lead role in their endurance efforts makes logical sense and keeps the Canadian fighting elite drivers.

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Lando Norris - IndyCar

The Brit already has a kind of IndyCar win to his name, after he raced in their virtual series during the COVID-19 pandemic at Circuit of the Americas.

Being hugely popular wherever he goes, Norris would surely get plenty of backing, none more so than from McLaren who already have a team Stateside.

Oscar Piastri - Supercars

An Australian homecoming is the obvious choice, and one Piastri might relish given his showing at Albert Park.

Zak Brown can help him out with his ties to Walkinshaw Andretti United, who are among the most successful teams in the series.

Pierre Gasly - Supercars

Another driver heading Down Under could be Gasly, after he got his first taste of Supercar machinery before the Australian GP.

The Frenchman had a beaming smile on his face and if the call came in, he could have been persuaded to take it.

Esteban Ocon - World Endurance Championship

Another heading for WEC, and again he could stay with the Alpine family if they return to the Hypercar class.

A possible alternative could be to head up Peugeot's programme, which currently includes Sky Sports F1 pundit Paul Di Resta.

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Valtteri Bottas - Extreme E

Despite embracing the Australian lifestyle his girlfriend has introduced, there is still a desire to go off-roading for Bottas.

His tight relationship with Hamilton could see his former team-mate open up a seat for him in Extreme E where he can tear through the landscape at speed.

Zhou Guanyu - World GT Challenge

The Chinese racer doesn't have a huge number of racing options in his home country, so he might fancy sticking around in Europe instead.

The wild world of GT racing opens countless possibilities, and the World GT Challenge is the best of the bunch.

Kevin Magnussen - IMSA

Before he was called in last minute by Haas at the start of last season, Magnussen was on course to race in IMSA.

He has also given IndyCar a go previously and seems to enjoy the American style of racing, and a return to the States would be inevitable.

Nico Hulkenberg - NASCAR

The Hulk has been given a second chance in F1 by Gene Haas and if he needed to move, the boss could give him a home.

Haas have an extremely successful team in NASCAR that needs a seat filled, with Kevin Harvick set to retire at the end of the year.

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Yuki Tsunoda - Super Formula

As the best racing series in Japan, Super Formula has been the natural home of Japanese racers once they leave F1.

Takuma Sato bucked the trend with his IndyCar exploits, but Honda won't want to lose Tsunoda and may have him back home instead.

Nyck de Vries - Formula E

De Vries is already a Formula E champion and if he were to become available, there would be many teams after his signature.

That was also where he seemed most at home behind the wheel, and the chance to win will entice the Dutchman greatly.

Alex Albon - DTM

Albon spent a year out of F1 after his disappointing Red Bull stint, and during that time he opted to race in DTM.

The cars have changed to standard GT3 since then, but he enjoyed success and would no doubt fancy another go against the elite in GT racing.

Logan Sargeant - IndyCar

Last but not least, an American homecoming for Sargeant would be highly talked about and many IndyCar teams would love to have him.

We've seen Formula 2 drivers head to the States and be successful, so Sargeant would surely be tipped for similar if it happened.

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