Fernando Alonso was "not interested" in taking over Lewis Hamilton's role at Mercedes.
This was stated by Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, who is still in the process of deciding who will be George Russell's teammate for the 2025 season, as he holds out for the unlikely possibility of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull.
Although Wolff's young charge, 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli, is currently the front-runner for the seat, Wolff acknowledged that he had considered offering the position to F1 legend Alonso.
"Of course we considered Fernando," Wolff disclosed to Spain's El Mundo Deportivo.
"But at that time, Fernando was not interested in driving for Mercedes. Moreover, he was offered a long-term contract at Aston Martin. That's how we perceived it at the time," added Wolff.
Alonso, who clinched the championship title twice, committed to his new deal with Aston Martin in mid-April.
"Fernando would have many more titles if he had managed his career differently," Wolff, who has been with Mercedes since 2013 when Alonso was with Ferrari, commented. "I don't think he could have signed for Mercedes after the McLaren episodes."
"Dieter Zetsche was at McLaren and then at Mercedes. So that door was practically closed."
Meanwhile, Adrian Newey, Red Bull's departing technical expert, is still officially available for 2025, with strong ties being rumored with Ferrari and Aston Martin.
"I don't know where Adrian is going to work next year," Wolff said. "I'm not even sure he knows yet."
