The photo of Flavio Briatore alongside Mercedes's team principal posted on social media two days ago sparked many speculations on social media.
Flavio Briatore is a former team manager of the Benetton Formula One racing team, which later became Renault. We know the same team under the name Alpine today.
The Italian businessman won two titles with Renault and Fernando Alonso during seasons 2005 and 2006. But what is special about him having coffee with Toto Wolff?
Well, the 73-year-old has also been Alonso's manager for quite a while. His role is not only guiding the Spainiard's moves, but he also plays a big part in negotiations and team decisions.
Now, we are getting to the bottom of it. Toto Wolff only recently found out Lewis Hamilton would be leaving for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, and he needs to look for possible alternatives.
Many F1 fans refuse to believe this was a random coffee with an old friend. What is speculated is that possible negotiations over the second seat in Mercedes have already started, and Fernando Alonso could have a real shot.
Alonso has already discussed the situation with the media after the launch of AMR24 on Monday 12th of February. The Spaniard admitted he was aware he was in a pretty good spot.
The double World Champion amazed everyone with his performance in 2023, and almost every single team that isn't looking for a long-term contract will now be seriously considering the 42-year-old.
There are currently only three World Champions on the grid. Max Verstappen has a long-term contract with Red Bull, and Hamilton left Mercedes for Ferrari, so he isn't an option for the German team anymore.
Alonso is the only World Champion available after 2024, and he might also be the only one with enough experience to replace the seven-time World Champion. Would you like to see the Spanish Matador end his career with Silver Arrows?