Brits to lead Montoya replacement list.

With Juan Pablo Montoya turning his back on Formula One in favour of a new career in the NASCAR series, his vacant, and valuable, McLaren seat is more than likely to be the subject of rumour and speculation over the coming months.

Constantly compared to team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, Montoya has not been able to take on his team-mate over the one-and-a-half seasons he has raced alongside the Finn so far, with mistakes in Canada and the United States doing little to endear him to team bosses recently.

With only smaller teams willing to make a play for him, Montoya has taken the plunge and returned to the team with which he enjoyed considerable success in open-wheel racing at the turn of the century, Chip Ganassi Racing.

The door has therefore been left open for someone new to take his slot alongside Fernando Alonso in 2007, and leading the charge are likely to be Britons Lewis Hamilton and Gary Paffett.

Both Paffett and Hamilton are under McLaren's wing and both are strongly tipped for a future in Formula One, a future that is likely to be more imminent for at least one of them thanks to Montoya's leaving.

Of the two, Hamilton is the higher profile, despite having never driven a Formula One car in anger. Although he has established a reputation in various championships, including dominating the F3 Euroseries in 2005, it is his stint in the GP2 Series so far this year that has made teams, not to mention the media, sit up and take notice of his ability.

With Ron Dennis acting as the brains behind his movements, Hamilton was widely tipped as a possible McLaren driver even before Montoya's departure, and it is a rumour that is only likely to gather pace with one seat going spare, even if Dennis insists that there is no rush to promote him straight into the frontline.

However, whilst many Brits will be looking on Hamilton to bring the country back to winning ways in 2007, his place in the team is by no means a foregone conclusion, as it is the arguably lesser known Paffett who rivals him in the frame for the seat.

Although his passage into Formula One has not been traditional and, as a result, has kept his profile low in the process, Paffett is another with the F3 Euroseries to his name, not to mention the lucrative DTM title under his belt.

Furthermore, Paffett is only marginally older than Hamilton but, crucially, has a year of experience in the McLaren-Mercedes, having become the team's official test driver ahead of this season. It is that experience that could work significantly in Paffett's favour, as Dennis traditionally avoids placing rookies in one of his cars.

At the same time though, Dennis has insisted Hamilton is ready for Formula One, and there remains there added threat of another team attempting to take him from under McLaren's nose before it can find a seat for him.

Not that the identity of Montoya's replacement may not already be known, and for several months too. Indeed, should Kimi Raikkonen choose to stay with McLaren, it is the already-signed Fernando Alonso that will be classed as Montoya's successor.

Raikkonen's future is looking increasingly clouded after an almost certain move to Ferrari earlier in the year seems to have been made all the more complicated by a late bid from champions Renault in recent weeks. Together with McLaren attempting to maintain the services of its 'star' driver, Raikkonen looks to have the choice of prime positions.

Or does he?

Indeed, a move to Ferrari could see him partner Michael Schumacher, who continues to deflect the 'retirement question' as ambiguously as ever. While Schumacher has welcomed his rival as a potential team-mate, it remains to be seen whether Raikkonen would be willing to play the famous 'second driver' role when required.

With that in mind, and Schumacher remaining coy on his retirement decision until September at least, Raikkonen may be forced to look further afield, in particular Renault.

Having re-signed Giancarlo Fisichella, the regie is now looking for a replacement for its champion driver and few people fill the seat more appropriately than Kimi Raikkonen, while Renault would like nothing more than to take him from under McLaren's nose, as it did with Alonso.