As he approaches his 43rd birthday, Fernando Alonso finds himself in a position he surely couldn't have dreamed of. Just five years ago, he was out of Formula 1 and completely disillusioned with the sport. He quit at the end of 2018, citing dull racing on-track and harmful polemics and drama off it. But, let's be honest, it was just as much to do with the fact his McLaren team were, at the time, utterly rubbish. Fast forward to 2024, not much has changed. Max Verstappen still wins virtually every race in which his Red Bull doesn't catch
fire . And paddock drama is even more of a fixture these days -
Netflix 's Drive to Survive show even used it to boost the sport's popularity. McLaren are a lot more competitive, at least. But Alonso is with Aston Martin these days and very much enjoying himself once again. Eight podiums made him the stand-out star on the grid last year, other than serial winner Verstappen. And, despite his relatively advanced years, it seems to have catapulted the Spaniard back into contention to land a top seat.
Sebastian Vettel weighs in on Max Verstappen's Red Bull future amid Christian Horner stance Christian Horner told he "absolutely cannot" sign 'preferred' Sergio Perez replacement Mercedes definitely have a vacancy for 2025, with
Lewis Hamilton heading off to
Ferrari . And there has been lots of talk about what Red Bull will do about their second driver situation for a long time now. Sergio Perez came into the season under pressure to perform after an underwhelming campaign last year. Alonso isn't committed to leaving Aston Martin. His contract expires at the end of this year but he has already said he will hold renewal talks to see if a deal can be struck which suits all parties. But boss Mike Krack has also admitted that his star driver has options elsewhere which could prove to be more enticing - especially with the clock ticking on his F1 career. In the even he gets offers from both the top teams interested in him, the decision is a no-brainer. Red Bull have had the quickest cars on the grid, by miles, for the past three seasons, and are likely to still have that advantage in 2025. If Alonso wants one last shot at a third F1 title, which he surely does, then joining the grid's dominant force is the way to do it. A Red Bull partnership between Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen would be blockbuster for fans who love drama ( Image: AFP via Getty Images) One things that's for sure, though, is that Alonso would have absolutely no interest in playing second fiddle to Verstappen, which is what happens to every driver that signs up to be his team-mate. Pairing them together would be blockbuster for F1 fans to watch, but it would be an unnecessarily ugly end to the Spaniard's marvellous F1 career. Red Bull neither need nor want competition for Verstappen - they want someone who can pick up the pieces when the Dutchman can't win. For Mercedes, on the other hand, he is the perfect option. Sure, he would give everything he has to beat George Russell in the same way, but his place would only ever be a temporary one. Toto Wolff needs a very good driver to hold the fort for a couple of years until their teenage wonderkid Andrea Kimi Antonelli is ready for the seat. Of their other main targets, how many would be willing to be a stop-gap rather than a long-term option? Esteban Ocon , given the sorry state Alpine are in, may be up for it. Carlos Sainz , who wants a new home after his brutal Ferrari exit, is too good to settle for such an arrangement. This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Watch F1 live Watch
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Grand Prix. From Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton, you won't miss a lap on Sky Sports. Sky Watch it here Wolff has spoken about his dream target being Verstappen, amid hints that his future with Red Bull might not be as set in stone as it once was amid the ongoing civil war behind the scenes. 'Dream' is the right word, though, with Verstappen highly unlikely to walk away from a car that essentially guarantees him the title any time soon. He threatened to do so when it seemed his ally Helmut Marko could be on his way out, telling everyone that he would follow the Austrian through the exit door. And that won't have been an empty threat - Verstappen is, if nothing else, a man of his word and not one to blurt something out in public if he didn't absolutely mean it. Perhaps, in such a scenario, Red Bull might turn to Alonso. It would remove the inevitable clash between them if they were team-mates. And it would provide time for someone like Liam Lawson to gain valuable F1 experience before being handed a Red Bull seat. But with Verstappen's exit highly unlikely right now, it is Mercedes and Wolff who are much more in need of someone with his talents.