And not forgetting...
There's a few other names out there who could possibly sneak into contention if others fall away - past, present and likely future stars of Formula 1 who could yet manage to ambush the favourites and walk off with one of the most coveted race seats in motorsport.
Valtteri Bottas
If Ferrari weren't able to steal Lewis Hamilton away from their arch rivals Mercedes, how about the next best thing? Valtteri Bottas is a proven, talented driver who would absolutely love the chance to shine in a top team away from the incandescent glare of the champion. Signing the Finn would let Ferrari reap a bumper harvest of insider knowledge about how Mercedes operates, and would put the Silver Arrows on the back foot by throwing them into a driver search of their own. Pairing Bottas with Leclerc could prove a fascinating combination - just the sort of fire and ice contrast that can help generate successful title campaigns.
Nico Hulkenberg
Missing from the F1 grid this year is Nico Hulkenberg. Despite 177 Grand Prix starts under his belt with the likes of Williams, Force India, Sauber and Renault, it's often noted that the 32-year-old is the most experienced driver never to manage to set foot on the podium. But he did start from pole in Brazil in 2010 and was memorably part of the winning 2015 Le Mans 24 Hour Porsche team, so there's no denying his talent. While it feels like his best opportunity to shine in F1 is now behind him, Hulkenberg would be a safe pair of hands and is available for immediate call-up should Ferrari need a stopgap. And after that, who knows what might happen?
Fernando Alonso
The other notable driver missing from the current line-up is Fernando Alonso, who retired from F1 at the end of 2018. Many fans would give pretty much any part of their anatomy to see him back. The two-time champion recently said he was making plans for next year but that they didn't include F1: however that was before news of Vettel's exit from Ferrari was announced. Might the situation have changed? Alonso would be a known quantity to Ferrari (not necessarily a good thing, mind you) but reverting to the situation that existed between 2010 and 2014 without yielding that much sought after title success is unlikely to appeal all that much to either team or driver. File this one under "We'll literally fall off our chair if it happens."
Mick Schumacher
If Ferrari don't go for the experience of Alonso, then how about a much younger candidate? There are some talented prospects in the prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy including Giuliano Alesi, Enzo Fittipaldi, Marcus Armstrong, Robert Shwartzman and Arthur Leclerc. But surely no name stands out nearly as much as Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 champion Michael.
The 21-year-old had a career breakthrough by snatching the 2018 FIA F3 European title from under the nose of Red Bull protégé Dan Ticktum. It put him firmly on the radar of every F1 team principal, but some of that gloss was subsequently knocked off by a thoroughly mediocre maiden season in Formula 2 in 2019, which suggests Mick needs more race experience before he can be considered a real prospect for promotion to F1. Everyone is keen to see the Schumacher name back in a Ferrari, but realistically it's not going to be as soon as 2021.
