Alonso Replacing Hamilton At Mercedes? Jenson Button 'Would Love' To See That

Friday, 02 February 2024 at 12:00

Jenson Button said he would love to see Fernando Alonso take over the second seat in Mercedes, which will be left up for grabs after Hamilton's departure.

It is official that Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes to join Scuderia Ferrari after the end of the season 2024. This brave move however, brings up many questions.

One of them is: Who will race for Mercedes? With Hamilton's two-year deal signed during the 2023 season, it seemed like the team had its drivers sorted for at least two years.

However, it turns out there was an exit clause in Hamilton's contract, which he decided to activate, leaving Silver Arrows without one driver for the season 2025.

Read also

Wolff Reportedly Most Probably Didn't Know About Hamilton's Contract With Ferrari

Fortunately for the German team, they are in a quite lucrative position where many drivers would love to race for them. Jenson Button told Sky Sports:

"For George, he’s got to start thinking about a new teammate again. Is it going to be someone like one of these karting rivals – Alex Albon, or is it gonna be Fernando Alonso, the guy that just doesn’t go away? He’s always there fighting for the top spots in the top teams. So who knows?"

Asked which driver he would like to see in the German team from 2025, Button asserted the Spanish Matador would be a great fit for the team.

"I mean, I have to say I might have a main crush on my ex-teammate Fernando Alonso. But I would love to see Fernando Alonso."

The double World Champion currently has a contract with Aston Martin running until the end of the season 2024, so that would also fit quite nicely if Mercedes expressed interest in him.

"You know, he is 42 now, I think, but the hunger is there. And if the hunger is there, the fitness is there. He drives every day. He's driving a go-kart or some sort of race car."

Alonso is 42 at the moment, but what he achieved with Aston Martin in 2023 was astonishing and showed that age poses no barrier to the Spaniard. Button added:

"Fits there, I think it would be a cool partnership. I think they'd learn from each other pretty well and I think they'd work well together."