Toto Wolff admits Mercedes ‘considered’ £277k-a-week driver to replace Lewis Hamilton

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Since Lewis Hamilton announced he would be leaving Mercedes at the end of the season, the biggest question has been who will replace the seven-time world champion?

With three seats currently up for grabs anything could happen in the F1 driver market, which is why several teams are still keeping their options open.

Mercedes is yet to formally announce its intentions for the second seat alongside George Russell, with them expected to go the way of 17-year-old protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli after he impressed at numerous tests for the Silver Arrows.

Team principal Toto Wolff has also been openly courting Max Verstappen amid the power struggle at the top of Red Bull and the recent slip in form that could see McLaren, Ferrari or Mercedes challenge them for wins. Wolff admitted that Mercedes was also considering another driver when speaking to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo.

Toto Wolff admits to considering one alternative to Lewis Hamilton

Several drivers were out of contract at the end of 2024 when the year started, one of which was two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard initially looked like he was considering a move to Red Bull if Verstappen decided to jump ship but eventually settled on staying at Aston Martin.

Wolff also considered replacing Hamilton with Alonso, but believes previous history between Mercedes and the Spaniard from his days at McLaren ruled out the move.

“We considered Fernando’s option, but at that time, Fernando was not interested in driving for Mercedes. In addition, he was offered a long-term contract at Aston Martin. That’s how we perceive it at that moment,” said Wolff.

“Fernando would have had many more titles if he had managed his career differently. Coming to Mercedes in the past? I don’t think I could have signed for Mercedes after the McLaren episodes. Dieter Zetsche was in McLaren and in Mercedes afterwards. So that door was practically closed.”

Why has Fernando Alonso decided to stay at Aston Martin?

It has not been the best start to the season for Aston Martin after the team failed to deliver on its promise last year.

Alonso has been virtually anonymous this season, having only achieved a best finish of fifth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the start. His form was criticised by Martin Brundle in the aftermath of the Austrian Grand Prix, where he finished outside of the points in 18th place.

Billionare Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll currently pays Alonso £277k-a-week according to Spotrac, making him one of the F1 grid’s highest-paid drivers. It’s a lucrative deal for the Spaniard to stay onboard, despite the team’s drop in form in the last few months.

Alonso clearly has an eye on 2026 with his latest contract move, as Aston Martin effectively becomes a works outfit by teaming up with Honda. The team recently signed ex-Mercedes power unit head Andy Cowell as CEO, while veteran engineer Bob Bell is also onboard in their technical team.

While a move to Mercedes looked more lucrative at the start of the season, Alonso is playing the long game with the hopes that everything will pay off when the new regulations come into play in 2026.