F1 News: Fernando Alonso Rejects Mercedes Option As He Explores 2025 Avenues

Saajan Jogia | Apr 9, 2024

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain speaks during / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, whose contract expires at the end of the current season, has rejected the prospect of joining Mercedes next year alongside George Russell, claiming that the idea "doesn't seem attractive" since it is currently behind Aston Martin in the race. The 42-year-old driver also revealed plans for the future and if he would consider staying with the current team beyond 2024.

Key Takeaways:

• Alonso rejects the idea of joining Mercedes for 2025, preferring Aston Martin due to their current performance superiority.
• He deliberates his Formula 1 future, balancing the sport's demands with his desire for family time and other motorsport ventures.
• Alonso prioritizes the ongoing 2024 season and plans to discuss a potential contract extension with Aston Martin, highlighting his commitment to the team's project.

Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso (ESP) stands on the podium / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Alonso has indicated that he requires some time to deliberate on his future, weighing the demands of Formula 1's rigorous schedule against the desire to explore other avenues in motorsport that would afford him more time with his family.

Therefore, his main priority lies with the ongoing 2024 season, highlighting Aston Martin's notable improvement compared to its performance towards the conclusion of the previous season. However, given that over half of the F1 grid's contracts are set to expire this year, teams have intensified their scouting efforts to identify potential drivers for future negotiations.

Recent speculation arose suggesting that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff engaged in discussions with Alonso amid the search for a Lewis Hamilton replacement. However, Alonso's remarks in Japan indicate his lack of interest in joining the Mercedes team. When he was asked by Sky Sports F1, if he would be making a phone call to Toto Wolff, after beating both Mercedes drivers and claiming sixth place at Suzuka, he answered:

“That’s a very good question.

“But yeah, Mercedes is behind now, so it doesn’t feel that attractive!”

With Mercedes ruled out for 2025, Alonso was then asked if he got closer to deciding whether or not to continue his F1 journey. He said:

“It goes either way.

“I had a lot of fun, which is great to keep on racing. I had one of my best weekends ever in driving, [but] I am 44 seconds behind the leader, so it doesn’t feel that attractive at the same time, so let’s see.”

Nov 15, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain speaks during / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In case Alonso does decide to continue racing in Formula 1, he would first initiate talks with Aston Martin, a team that has already expressed the desire to continue racing with the two-time world champion. He said:

“This is a decision that I need to do with myself, I need to think and I need to commit to a team eventually, and make sure that I understand that the next few years of my life, it will be that team and 100 percent of my time.

“Once I do that decision, I want to sit with Aston Martin and say, ‘OK, I make this decision. And I would love to continue with this project’.

“Because I think we did a good step forward in the last year. We built a lot of things together. We have this new facility here. We have everything to succeed for the future, and I trust this project.

“So that will be my first priority when I say that I want to speak first with Aston Martin, because I feel part of this project very much.

“But, if we cannot reach an agreement and I want to commit to race in Formula 1, I know that I have a privileged position.

“I’m probably attractive to other teams, the performance that they saw last year, the commitment, and as I said, you know there are only three World Champions on the grid. And there is only one available.”