Wolff discloses that Fernando Alonso turned down a Mercedes F1 contract for the 2025 season, opting out of the offer.
Mercedes F1 boss, Toto Wolff, revealed that Fernando Alonso turned down an offer from his team for a transfer before signing a new contract with Aston Martin F1.
The shocking decision by Lewis Hamilton to activate a departure clause in his contract to pursue a transfer to Ferrari starting in 2025 left a vacancy at Mercedes.
This situation was known since early February, but Alonso withdrew his name from Wolff’s list when it was announced in April that he had signed a multi-year contract extension with Aston Martin.
Alonso disclosed that conversations had taken place with rival teams, and Wolff revealed to Mundo Deportivo that the Spaniard was among the considered options.
“Of course, at the beginning of the year, we considered the Fernando Alonso option, but at that time, Fernando told us he was not interested in driving for Mercedes F1.”
“He was offered a long-term contract at Aston Martin and he thought Aston would be more competitive than us. That’s how we perceived it at the time.”
Alonso’s decision not to consider a potential transfer to Mercedes materialized while the team was still struggling with the current regulations and an inconsistent W15. However, the German brand has since made significant progress to achieve two consecutive race wins, while Aston Martin has continued to regress to a mid-table team.
Wolff stated that Alonso deserved more than the two titles he has, but his career choices have prevented him from achieving more success.
“I agree with that list,” said Wolff regarding Max Verstappen who named Michael Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, and Juan Manuel Fangio as the best in F1.
“Even though there are drivers in history who have more titles than Fernando. Fernando would have had many more titles if he had managed his career differently.”
Alonso was known to have courted Mercedes during the team’s period of dominance from 2014 to 2020, but the manufacturer never utilized his services.
Wolff acknowledges that Alonso’s tumultuous season alongside Hamilton at McLaren in 2007 and the Spygate scandal contributed to this opportunity not materializing.
“I don’t think he could have signed for Mercedes after the McLaren episodes. Dieter Zetsche [director of Mercedes-Benz until 2019] experienced that at McLaren and he was at Mercedes afterward. So that door was practically closed.”
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Wolff: Alonso Not Interested in 2025 Mercedes Deal Wolff: Alonso Not Interested in 2025 Mercedes Deal
