Fernando Alonso says he could be a replacement at Mercedes when British driver Lewis Hamilton leaves the team to join Ferrari in 2025.
The Aston Martin driver said he had not yet been contacted by Mercedes but insisted his performance and commitment last season as a double world champion made him attractive to the rival team.
Hamilton shocked Mercedes two weeks ago by announcing he would leave them for Ferrari at the end of the season, vacating a seat with George Russell at the eight-time Constructors’ Championship team.
Alonso, 42, won the championship twice with Renault in 2004 and 2005. He joined Aston Martin last season, when the team took a big step forward in its competitiveness. However, his contract with the Silverstone outfit expires at the end of this season.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the team’s 2024 challenger AMR24 on Monday morning, he insisted his first allegiance was to Aston Martin, but he knew other teams would also consider him.
“If I wanted to continue racing after this year, the first and only thing I would talk about at the beginning would be Aston Martin. I believe in this project and it will be my priority,” he said. “But if we can’t reach an agreement, I know I’m attractive to other teams. I’m not going to stay in Formula One just for fun. I’m not that kind of person, not that kind of driver. Let’s see what happens. What options.”
Last season, when Alonso had a car that was exceptionally fast and challenging at the front of the grid in the first half of the season, he proved that his speed and touch had not diminished.
He scored six podiums in the first eight races and eight in total, finishing fourth, his best result since 2013 with Ferrari. With Max Verstappen joining Red Bull and Hamilton joining Ferrari, Alonso noted that he is the only championship winner with a wealth of experience and could be on the driver market in 2025.
“I know my situation is very unique,” he said. “There are only three world champions in the qualifications and I’m the only one who can race in 2025, so I’m in a good position. After the move to Mercedes, nothing happened. I know The driver market has started earlier this year, but this will not affect my preparation for the season.”
Alonso also said he was surprised by Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, as the British driver had previously expressed his loyalty to Mercedes and intended to finish his career there.
The Spaniard drove for Ferrari between 2010 and 2014 and despite two strong title challenges, was ultimately disappointed and disillusioned by the team. He recognizes that Hamilton will face a huge challenge and pressure at Ferrari, but points out that the seven-time champion can bring changes to the team because they already have a fast car that showed last season, especially on the lap.
“Ferrari have a very fast car and are fighting for great things,” he said of their recent performance. “Maybe Lewis can bring something extra to fight for the championship. The car is there.”
“Even last year, with a dominant Red Bull car, Ferrari were able to match the lap times and be faster than them for most of qualifying, so the car should be fast enough.”
