Jenson Button reveals who he’d “love to see” replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

Jenson Button says he would “love to see” his old F1 teammate Fernando Alonso replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year.

Hamilton’s bombshell Mercedes exit in favour of a shock switch to Ferrari from 2025 has left a spare seat alongside George Russell at the German manufacturer.

Plenty of drivers are likely to be in the running for one of the most coveted F1 seats on the grid, but Button believes there is an obvious standout.

Two-time world champion Alonso only joined Aston Martin last year but is out of contract at the end of the upcoming season.

Alonso has been linked to Mercedes several times over the years but a move has never materialised while Hamilton has been at the team.

But Hamilton’s impending departure has potentially opened the door for the 42-year-old Spaniard.

“I might have a bit of a man crash on my ex-teammate, but I would love to see Fernando Alonso," Button told Sky F1.

“He is 42 now, but the hunger is there. And if the hunger is there, the fitness is there. He drives every day in a go-kart or some sort of race car.

“If he’s there, I think it’d be a cool partnership. I think they’d learn from each other pretty well and work well together.”

The 2009 world champion, who was Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren between 2010 and 2012, praised his fellow countryman’s bold decision.

“For Lewis, this is a brave move, and a lot of respect to him,” Button said.

“He’s not just going to another team, he’s going to Ferrari. He’s going to a team where they speak Italian, a language he doesn’t know, and a language Charles [Leclerc] does know very well.

“This is a biggie. So I’m excited for this and it’s great for F1.”