‘I know for a fact’ - Claim that Fernando Alonso is on Mercedes’ list to replace Lewis Hamilton

Fernando Alonso is on Mercedes’ list of F1 drivers who could replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025, it has been claimed.

Hamilton shocked the F1 world at the start of this month by announcing that he would be leaving Mercedes at the end of the season in order to complete a blockbuster switch to Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion’s impending move has blown the driver market wide open, leaving an unexpected spare seat at Mercedes that several drivers will be vying for.

And according to BBC journalist Andrew Benson, two-time world champion Alonso is one of the candidates to join Mercedes.

“I know that [Fernando] Alonso’s on the list. I do, I know that for a fact,” Benson told the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast.

“It’s unbelievable considering what happened between Mercedes and Alonso in 2007 during the Spygate era and there was always this suggestion from Mercedes that we would never touch him with a barge pole.

“But, there’s a new CEO at Mercedes now and they’re a bit in the doo-doo now that [Lewis] Hamilton’s left, so why wouldn’t Alonso be attractive if they need to fill a gap?”

Alonso is out of contract at the end of the year, meaning he would theoretically be free to join Mercedes, however the Spaniard has insisted that staying at Aston Martin in 2025 will be his first choice should he decide to continue in F1 beyond this season.

“If we cannot reach an agreement, and I want to commit to race in F1, I know that I have a privileged position,” added Alonso, who turns 43 in July.

“I'm probably attractive to other teams, the performance that they saw last year, the commitment. There are only three world champions on the grid. And there is only one available.”

Former Mercedes F1 reserve driver Sam Bird said he is excited to see how Hamilton’s shock transfer impacts the 2025 driver market.

“What excites me is the ripple effect through the driver market that this will have, because that is such a key seat,” Bird said on the same BBC podcast.

“Now what happens at Mercedes. Do they be brave and bring in [Andrea Kimi] Antonelli, or do they go and get somebody else from the existing drivers?

“Who would they go for? Does [Valtteri] Bottas want his seat back or do they go somewhere else. Do they look at a lower team driver whose proving themselves? It’s really exciting what this could do to the driver market in 12 months time.”