Alonso agrees he is in a ‘good position’ for negotiations

Fernando Alonso is optimistic about his position in the Formula 1 driver market, particularly amid rumors linking him to Mercedes as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari. Despite having the chance to affirm his commitment to his current team, Aston Martin, the 42-year-old racer has instead emphasized his outstanding pre-season fitness test results, emphasized his marketing value, and noted that he is the only available champion for the 2025 season.

Speaking on the concluding day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Alonso expressed his belief in having a strong negotiating position. He mentioned that he intends to focus on the early races of the upcoming season before delving into discussions about his driving plans for 2025 and beyond.

“In my case, it’s very interesting because I have, I think, a good position to negotiate,” he stated. “But I want to at least do the first couple of races without thinking too much.

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“I want to see myself into a new season. It’s going to be the longest-ever season in Formula 1 [at 24 races]. I want to change a little bit some of the travel schedule and things to be really efficient this year and arrive with high energy at the end of the year.

“So, a couple of things that are my main focus now are not so much next year.”

Alonso, a two-time F1 world champion, acknowledged previously that he was a day late in learning about his ex-McLaren team-mate Hamilton’s move to Ferrari as he was occupied with training.