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After the Formula One 2021 season started in dramatic fashion in Bahrain two weeks back, the talks about the next year have already started. While it is going to be an exciting year with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen the two key contenders for the F1 title, McLaren boss Zak Brown has put up a very interesting theory on the plate for next year which has created a buzz around the whole racing world.

End of Hamilton-Bottas partnership?

Mercedes are undoubtedly one of the best F1 teams right now. They have won the constructors championships for the last seven years and have been an extremely dominating force with Lewis Hamilton leading the way. There were a lot of talks about the current F1 champion's contract before this season but he did sign a 1-year deal eventually.

On the other hand, his teammate Valtteri Bottas might have not won a title but has been a consistent driver on the podium for them. The 31-year-old will also see his contract expire at the end of this season. With some new regulations also set to be introduced in F1, there are high possibilities that it could be an end of the Hamilton-Bottas era for Mercedes as they might opt for a fresh driver line-up.

Max and Russell to join Mercedes?

In an interview with British newspaper The Daily Mail, McLaren boss Zak Brown gave his opinion on what could happen at Mercedes in 2022. He said, "I think you will see Max [Verstappen] and George [Russell] there in 2022. I think that is the obvious conclusion. You have Max's experience and youth, you have George's youth. If I am Mercedes, that’s a pretty killer line-up for the next five years.”

Red Bull's principal Christian Horner did not look too pleased about the speculation considering the fact that their star driver Max Verstappen was involved. He came up with a very sarcastic response as he said, "Maybe Mercedes are as likely to run Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris (McLaren’s 2021 pairing)."

Reflecting on the same, Mercedes principal Toto Wolff denied all the speculations as he confirmed that they haven't really thought about next year's driver line-up yet. However, the 49-year-old added that discussions will happen on time and they won't leave anything until the last minute. After listening to comments from everyone, one thing is certain that 'Mercedes line-up for 2022' is going to be the hot-topic for upcoming months.