Mercedes are still deciding who to put alongside George Russell next season. The two main options for the Silver Arrows are Kimi Antonelli and – as mentioned on several occasions by Toto Wolff – Max Verstappen. The Mercedes team principal still believes the Dutchman could be persuaded to leave Red Bull. However, another name was under consideration at Brackley when the year began – Fernando Alonso.
At the beginning of the season, Alonso had plenty of leverage in the market.
In Bahrain, he candidly stated that he was the only World Champion without a contract for next season. At the time, the Double World Champion was positioning himself to be an active player in the market.
However, despite this initial rhetoric, Alonso became one of the first drivers to sign a contract extension. He signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin, committing himself to the Silverstone-based team until at least 2026.
The reaction to this decision was mixed, especially since Red Bull and Mercedes were still evaluating their options at the time.
Toto Wolff: Fernando Alonso did not want to join Mercedes
In a recent interview, Toto Wolff revealed that the Spaniard was a genuine option for 2025:
“Of course, we considered Fernando’s option. But at that time, Fernando was not interested in driving for Mercedes,” he told Mundodeportivo.
“Moreover, he was offered a long-term contract at Aston Martin. That’s how we perceived it at the time…
“Fernando would have had many more titles if he had managed his career differently.”
2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Sunday – LAT Images
Considering the current trajectories at Mercedes and Aston Martin, Alonso’s decision to commit himself to the British team so quickly could be described as a blunder.
After all, there was no need – at least from the outside – to sign a new contract with Aston Martin so early in the season.
Given their poor development since early 2023, surely the best option for Alonso would have been to wait for Aston’s mid-season progression.
Regardless, the ink is already dry, and the 42-year-old is committed to Lawrence Stroll’s team for the foreseeable future. To be clear, it would be unwise to suggest that Mike Krack’s personnel are incapable of rectifying their worrying trajectory.
The last eighteen months have proven how quickly things can change in Formula 1. Moreover, the team is pushing hard to acquire the services of Adrian Newey.
However, Mercedes are obviously in a far better position than Aston Martin. Not only do the Silver Arrows have better credentials historically, but they are showing a far greater ability to recover from their mistakes than their Silverstone-based colleagues.
Although everything could change in 2026, the evidence suggests that Alonso signed his existing deal somewhat hastily.
