F1 News: Fernando Alonso Confident About 2025 Seat - "Good Position To Negotiate"
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, whose current F1 contract expires toward the end of the 2024 season, has revealed that he remains in a good position to negotiate with potential teams for a Formula 1 seat for the 2025 season.
Key Takeaways:
- Fernando Alonso, currently with Aston Martin, confirmed his favorable negotiating position for a Formula 1 seat in the 2025 season as his contract extends until the end of 2024.
- Speculation in the driver market suggests Alonso is a prominent contender for a Mercedes seat, filling the gap left by Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari for the upcoming season.
- Despite being 42 years old, Alonso demonstrated his peak pre-season fitness and stands as the sole available driver on the F1 grid for the upcoming year with a world championship title. His current focus is on the demanding 24-race season ahead, but he maintains readiness for discussions about a 2025 seat with potential teams.
His revelation adds to the speculation in the driver market, suggesting that Alonso is a leading candidate for a Mercedes seat to take over from Hamilton when he makes the move to Ferrari next season.
In the initial eight Grands Prix of the 2023 season, he delivered a remarkable performance by securing a podium finish in six of them. This outstanding contribution individually propelled Aston Martin to P5 in the Constructors' Championship, with the driver accumulating 206 points out of the team's total of 280.
At age 42, the Spaniard showcased his most impressive pre-season fitness test results. In addition, it's noteworthy that he is the sole available driver on the F1 grid for the upcoming year who holds a world championship title.
Addressing the media during the third day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Alonso shared that his current focus is on the extensive 24-race season ahead. However, he maintains a favorable position for discussions regarding a 2025 seat with one of the teams. He said:
“In my case, it's very interesting because I have, I think, a good position to negotiate.
“But I want to at least do the first couple of races without thinking too much.
“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.”
Lewis Hamilton's decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari next year has triggered early activity in the Formula 1 driver market earlier than expected. Revealing the heightened activity, Alonso added:
“It was a surprise. I was expecting maybe around summertime to have a little bit of action, but it started really early. There were some leaks.
“Probably [Mercedes and Ferrari] have to announce earlier than expected. So, after that, definitely more action going on.”
