Toto Wolff confirms Mercedes interest in Fernando Alonso to replace Lewis Hamilton

Toto Wolff confirmed Mercedes attempted to secure Fernando Alonso from 2025 following Lewis Hamilton’s mid-season Ferrari announcement. Hamilton revealed earlier this year that he would be leaving the Silver Arrows after 12 seasons and seven world championships.

Team boss Wolff revealed Alonso rejected the Silver Arrows. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Wolff said: “At that time, he had no interest in driving for us. After all, Aston Martin offered him a long-term contract

The 17-year-old won his first F2 race at Silverstone this weekend following a tough start in the series. “His junior formula and go-karting track record is one of a kind. And that’s clear that the pressure ramps up. But it’s like his father says, a champion needs to be thrown in the cold water and needs to swim,” said Wolff.

Antonelli’s ability to cope well with pressure at such a young age will put him in good standing for the 2025 seat – but should Merc opt for a more experienced driver to drive for a season or two, there are plenty of options still available. “Yeah, I have to say, not always I cope very well with pressure,” admitted Antonelli. “Obviously, this season, especially this year, I’ve been under a lot of pressure, to be honest. I have to say today I coped with it pretty well. Still some improvements [needed] because sometimes I still make some mistakes.

“For example, yesterday in quali I did a mistake in my lap and lost quite a bit of time. So definitely, sometimes I still don’t perform as [well as] I could [10th fastest], but yeah, I’m trying every time to cope as best as I can with the pressure.