'Gladiatorial' Alonso Suggested As Option For Mercedes By Coulthard: 'I'd Take Him'

Sunday, 11 February 2024 at 02:00

Former F1 driver David Coulthard proposed Fernando Alonso as one of the best options for Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes.

At the end of 2024, Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes, and that causes a bit of a headache for the team principal of Silver Arrows - Toto Wolff.

On the one hand, he still has one year to find the right driver. On the other hand, the gap left by the seven-time World Champion in the team is hard to fill.

Quite a few options have been proposed in recent days. Some of the names mentioned include Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz, and Esteban Ocon.

While David Coulthard's co-host Eddie Jordan put forward Vettel as a great fit for the German team, Coulthard believes Alonso would be an even better option. He said on the Formula for Success podcast.

"If I was Mercedes, I would take Alonso over Vettel. He's race fit, he understands the engine, the power unit because of the Aston Martin, and he's still gladiatorial and got a bit between his teeth."

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Alonso surprised everyone with his performances for Aston Martin during the most recent season. He collected all eight of his team's total eight podiums and beat his teammate Lance Stroll by 130 points.

"Maybe Seb was just struggling a little bit with the development of the Aston when he was there. But he wasn't sort of putting manners on a Lance Stroll in a way that we have seen from Fernando Alonso. So, if I could get Fernando, I'd take him."

What Vettel and Alonso have in common is that they are the only two World Champions in the mix of drivers that might drive for Mercedes starting from the season 2025.

Toto Wolff hinted it was maybe time to do something "bold," but that could mean anything. Should the team principal go for an old, successful, and experienced driver or young, promising talent?