What the F1 grid could look like in 2019

Felipe Massa is leaving Formula 1 at the end of this year. Jenson Button plans to take a step back. The face of the grid has begun to change, and with a new wave of talent emerging there's scope for a total transformation in the years ahead.

With several other driver contracts coming up for renewal at the end of 2018, what could F1 look like in '19 and beyond? Based on information gathered in the paddock, and some artistic licence, let's find out.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's contracts expire at the end of 2018, at which point they will both be 33. Hamilton could conceivably be a six-time world champion and want to stick around to equal or even beat Michael Schumacher's record of seven titles.

Or he could call it quits.

He loves spending time in USA, so could follow through with his desire to give NASCAR a try. There would likely be no shortage of teams interested in giving him a shot, while being in the public eye Stateside would only help build 'Brand Hamilton'. That could also dovetail nicely with a career in music, perhaps releasing some of the material recorded in his studio.

If Rosberg finds himself yet to win a title at the end of 2018, but looking at the prospect of Hamilton leaving, he may well try to stay on to rectify that. But Mercedes could make a move for Sebastian Vettel, who may grow tired of Ferrari's failings in the same way that Fernando Alonso did.

Vettel's contract expires at the end of 2017 and given that Mercedes and Red Bull are full until the end of the following year, his best bet would be to stay at Ferrari in '18 to give himself options.

He'll be 32 in 2019, and a four or five-year stint with a team from there would likely see out his career. Vettel is a proven championship winner and, should Mercedes give him the car to do so, a German driver winning for a German manufacturer would no doubt go down very well.

Mercedes could then draft in Pascal Wehrlein, who will by then have built up experience at Manor and also had a season or two at Force India. Fellow Mercedes junior Esteban Ocon is also an option. Either would gain valuable experience from racing alongside Vettel, as Felipe Massa did with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, and then would step up to be the lead driver when the German retires.

Whichever junior misses out on a 2019 seat could be loaned out to a Mercedes engine customer, such as Force India or Williams, ready to move in to take over from Vettel when he chooses to retire, or replace the other one if they didn't deliver.

A Vettel move from Ferrari would herald a new era. Kimi Raikkonen will likely have sailed off into retirement, contesting one-off rallies when the mood took him and generally enjoying life after F1. The stage could be set for Daniel Ricciardo to move to Ferrari. He's been on the team's list and would be a good fit at Maranello.

With Ricciardo's experience, Ferrari could pair him with rising star Charles Leclerc, who is on course to win the GP3 title this year and has done a good job with his three performances as a Friday driver for Haas.

It's believed Haas has been seriously impressed with him. He has two more FP1 opportunities to confirm that belief and should he win the GP3 title, it'll give him enough qualifying points to earn an F1 superlicence.

Ferrari could then put him in a race seat at Haas next season, with Esteban Gutierrez making way. He'd spend the next two years gaining experience alongside Romain Grosjean and then make the step up to Ferrari in 2019, aged 21. Ferrari does not take rookies and that policy won't change, so that would be a likely route.

Ferrari may also decide to give Grosjean a shot in 2018 as he will have had two seasons with Haas, building better links with the Italians through the teams' relationship. Regardless of how he performs, Ferrari will have Leclerc as a back-up.

That said, Grosjean may not even be available by then. He is set to stay at Haas next year, but has spoken about how cool it would be to drive for Renault again. Should the manufacturer get its act together next year, a return in 2018 is a real possibility.

It seems that Renault has a long list of drivers it wants to sign. The difficulty is that right now the team is still in the very early stages of rebuilding, and success will not come for several years.

Sergio Perez's stock is high, given his form and substantial financial backing, so he understandably wants to capitalise on that. The McLaren experience really hurt his confidence, so the fact that he has rebounded and now has the possibility of linking up with a manufacturer is enticing.

If he joins Renault for 2017 - something Force India seems confident won't happen - it would be a long-term project. But Perez only turns 27 next year, so he still has time on his side. A potential partner would be Ocon, though that very much depends on who comes out on top in the tug-of-war between Mercedes and Renault for the reigning GP3 champion.

A switch of allegiances is not unusual. Vettel was initially backed by BMW before Red Bull joined in supporting his junior career. Then after making his F1 debut with the German manufacturer as a stand in for Robert Kubica he was released to race for Toro Rosso, with Red Bull ultimately winning the tug-of-war for his services and four world championships followed. Should Mercedes bank on Wehrlein, it may consider letting Ocon go to Renault.

But then again, Mercedes missed out on Max Verstappen to Red Bull, with his promotion to the senior team earlier this year solidifying that relationship. Verstappen may yet be the one that got away and Mercedes will be conscious not to let that happen again with Ocon, if he proves to be the real deal.

Carlos Sainz Jr has been linked with Renault, but he's tied in at Toro Rosso. That's not to say a move to the French manufacturer would not be a good thing, though. His current deal expires at the end of next year and Red Bull rates him highly, as does Toro Rosso. It wants him as a back-up for Verstappen and Ricciardo.

But with those two drivers unlikely to be going anywhere until the end of 2018, Sainz faces the prospect of two more years - making it four in total - at Toro Rosso. His career could stagnate. So perhaps Red Bull could loan him out to its engine supplier Renault, but have the option to bring him in from 2019.

That would give Sainz two years of working with a manufacturer. They will likely be two tough years given Renault's current performance, but the long-term prospects are encouraging. If Red Bull chooses not to take him back, and he is delivering, Renault could offer the chance for Sainz to win races and challenge for the title that Toro Rosso will likely never be able to.

But should Ricciardo move to Ferrari in 2018, that would create the exciting prospect of Verstappen and Sainz together again from '19. Given that Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said there was "considerable unrest" in the team when they were Toro Rosso team-mates, that has the potential to be explosive, following on nicely from the Hamilton-Rosberg Mercedes rivalry. Red Bull would then be set for several years.

The picture is less clear at Williams. It was looking like it could become an attractive prospect for drivers after two third-place finishes in the constructors' championship. But this year has been far tougher and there's the real chance that it'll end up fifth, which has a knock-on effect on the budget that could hurt it for several years.

Valtteri Bottas is likely to stay in 2017, signing a deal that will keep him there until the end of '18 when other contracts come up for renewal. That at least gives Williams stability. For the second seat, it may have to bite the bullet and take a driver with backing.

Felipe Nasr is on the shortlist and would be a viable option given his support from Brazil, but Lance Stroll, its development driver currently in Formula 3, would be a better long-term prospect. Williams does not want to take rookies. It considers itself a top team and if finances didn't play a part, it shouldn't have to even consider the possibility. But Stroll comes with money - lots of it - and is impressing in F3 right now.

If Williams believes he has talent and the potential to be a race winner, it should take the gamble. That would not only steady its finances but also provide it with a driver that could be there for several years.

If Williams doesn't take the punt, Stroll could take his money to Force India. There, he could build up experience, align himself with Mercedes - having originally been a Ferrari junior - and open up the potential for a very bright future.

Force India will likely keep Nico Hulkenberg beyond 2017, as his stock has dropped. While he is still a solid performer, Hulkenberg is not in the minds of the big teams. The squad would be a sensible and exciting next step for Wehrlein, but the likelihood is that if Perez leaves, a driver with backing would be required.

Further down pitlane McLaren has taken a rookie by finally promoting Stoffel Vandoorne. The Belgian dominated GP2 on his way to the title last year and looks like he could be the real deal. While taking a young driver didn't end nicely for McLaren or Kevin Magnussen in 2014, the approach reaped rewards seven years earlier with Hamilton.

Hamilton's title challenge as a rookie and championship in his second season is unlikely to happen for Vandoorne, given McLaren-Honda's current position and rate of development. But Woking could be the place to be in a few years' time. Vandoorne is the perfect successor to Button and Alonso.

Alonso's contract is up at the end of next season and his future is uncertain. McLaren can choose between him and Button for 2018 to partner Vandoorne, providing the latter delivers, putting it in a very strong position.

Button is unlikely to come back, but there's a chance Alonso could stay for one more season beyond 2017 if he thinks he can win the third title he craves, before calling it a day at 37. If he's had enough at the end of next year, there are worse options than drafting a very hungry Button back for a season in '18. By then several other contracts will be up for renewal, so McLaren will have options.

The potential for an exciting future is huge. But it will require the big teams to take a chance on fresh blood. It could be a grid of Vettel and Wehrlein at Mercedes, Ricciardo and Leclerc at Ferrari, Verstappen and Sainz at Red Bull, Bottas and Stroll at Williams, Vandoorne and Alonso at McLaren and Grosjean and Ocon at Renault.

It probably won't happen. But just imagine if it did.