Fernando Alonso is set to play a key role in the 2024 Formula 1 driver’s market and has already decided which team he’ll be meeting first to discuss his future.
Mercedes have a seat to fill with Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has been linked with an exit as well.
Journalist Kemal Sengul took to X to share what he had heard about the two-time world champion’s next steps.
Fernando Alonso to have first meeting with F1 team
It’s not often that a former world champion is on the market when it comes to Formula 1.
Typically, they’re signed up to long-term contracts, although as Hamilton has shown, that doesn’t mean they can’t be broken.
Max Verstappen’s current deal runs until the end of 2028, although there’s one clause that could see him leave the team much earlier than that.
Aston Martin have allowed Fernando Alonso’s current deal to run down until its final year, although it’s not a huge surprise that Mike Krack didn’t sign a 42-year-old up to a longer contract.
However, he proved last season that he was still up for the job, scoring eight podiums compared to teammate Lance Stroll’s total of zero.
With so much change expected on the grid for 2025, Alonso is likely to have a lot of options on the table when it comes to deciding on his future.
He’s admitted he’s still not sure if he’ll carry on beyond this year, but the expected contracts he’ll have offered to him will definitely help make his mind up.
Alonso knows which team he’ll be meeting first when making his mind up on his future and it’s not a huge surprise which team principal he’ll be seeing first.
Fernando Alonso on Mercedes’s list but won’t be talking to Wolff first
Posting on social media ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Kemal Sengul said: “Fernando Alonso reiterated that if he decides to continue in Formula 1, he will first meet with Aston Martin.
“If he cannot reach an agreement with Aston Martin then he will look at his other options.
“He has not yet decided whether to continue in F1 but will not wait until the summer to decide.”
Mike Krack has already explained that Aston Martin will be offering Alonso a new contract in the coming weeks.
The term of that deal will be fascinating and might give us an indication of whether Lawrence Stroll thinks he can attract Max Verstappen to the team.
The idea of the two world champions driving alongside each other is tantalising, but also extremely unlikely given Lance Stroll’s connection to Aston Martin.
Alonso is also on Mercedes’s list of potential replacements for Lewis Hamilton, while his manager Flavio Briatore has been spotted meeting with the Red Bull team in Bahrain.
If Alonso is going to decide on his future before the summer, there’s a very good chance he’s the catalyst the Formula 1 driver’s market needs to kick into action.
The grid is likely to be a game of musical chairs and Alonso appears to be in charge of the music right now.
The post ‘Will first meet’: Fernando Alonso heading for talks with F1 team amid uncertain future – journalist appeared first on F1 Oversteer.