Alonso opens up about Mercedes talks
He could have reunited with Hamilton!
Fernando Alonso has revealed that he held talks with Mercedes regarding stepping in to replace the retiring Nico Rosberg. The German driver shockingly retired mere days after beating Lewis Hamilton to the drivers' title and was eventually replaced by Valtteri Bottas.
Alonso signing up to Mercedes would have meant reuniting with Hamilton, almost a decade on from their fractious year as McLaren team-mates in the Brit's rookie F1 season.
Hamilton has generally had the better of things against Bottas since 2017, but Alonso's revelation will spark theories about what might have been in a Silver Arrows partnership between the pair of multi-time world champions.
"I've had contact with Mercedes in the past," Alonso told the Man in Town magazine.
"Back in 2016, when Nico Rosberg decided to retire, I spoke with Toto Wolff, but we never reached a definite agreement."
The Silver Arrows are seemingly one of few teams that could tempt Alonso back to F1, with the Spaniard only interested in a return if a genuine title bid is on the cards.
"In the future, I'm open to interesting offers," he said.
"If I decide to return to Formula 1, it'll only be if there's a real possibility of winning the world title.
"I'm not interested in projects that are starting from zero. I want a car immediately capable of winning.
"If Formula 1 becomes attractive again, I have no doubt that I would return."
Related
More F1 news
Latest F1 news
Recommended by the editors
Chinese Grand Prix
F1 Race Today: Chinese Grand Prix 2026 start times, schedule, TV channel and FREE live stream
F1 Stats
Youngest F1 race winners: All-time list as Antonelli bids for Chinese Grand Prix glory
F1 News & Gossip
Christian Horner F1 return facing major blocker as Mercedes talks confirmed
Chinese Grand Prix
F1 Odds: Chinese Grand Prix favourites and long shots as Lewis Hamilton roars back after ‘Macarena’ flop
Races
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2026
-
Grand Prix of China 2026
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2026
-
Grand Prix of Bahrain 2026
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2026
-
Miami Grand Prix 2026
-
Grand Prix du Canada 2026
-
Grand Prix De Monaco 2026
-
Gran Premio de Barcelona-Catalunya 2026
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2026
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2026
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2026
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2026
-
Dutch Grand Prix 2026
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2026
-
Gran Premio de España 2026
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2026
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2026
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2026
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2026
-
Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2026
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2026
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2026
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2026
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Editorial & corporate information
Avenue HQ
10–12 East Parade
Leeds
LS1 2BH
United Kingdom Regional correspondence
View contact page