Formula 1: Surprise driver turned down replacing Lewis Hamilton

Toto Wolff recently dropped the name of a key figure in Formula 1 who was not only considered to be Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes but also reportedly turned down the opportunity.

Fernando Alonso is the man in question here, and he was said to be in consideration to replace Hamilton shortly after Hamilton's departure for Ferrari was announced.

However, Alonso was also in negotiations with Aston Martin at the time and believed that Mercedes were not far enough ahead on performance to pique his interest. As such, the Spanish driver proceeded to re-sign with Aston Martin, keeping him at his current team until the end of the 2026 season.

Alonso moved too quickly to re-sign

The 42-year-old's new Aston Martin contract will likely be the last one he signs before his Formula 1 career comes to an end, as he is set to be 45 years old by the time it expires.

Since he joined Aston Martin in 2023, Alonso has done quite well, and the team have seen lots of upward progress. However, Aston Martin have also struggled to keep up with some of the best teams and have quickly fallen back into the mid-field battle after a strong start to last season.

The Spaniard has shown that he ages like fine wine and that he is still more than capable of producing top-tier results. However, he knows the issues with the car and how rival teams have been able to pass them on performance. Nevertheless, he appears to have the utmost belief in the entire team and truly believes things will improve in the coming years.

Though the Mercedes seat was open, perhaps Alonso was drawn towards the behind-the-scenes work going on at the Silverstone factory.

The entire world of Formula 1 knows how ruthless of a businessman Lawrence Stroll is, and he has recently been pursuing the signature of legendary engineer Adrian Newey following confirmation of his impending departure from Red Bull.

Alonso’s driving abilities, combined with Newey’s design skills, could put Aston Martin in a similar spot to where they were to start the 2023 season.

But Newey joining Aston Martin is still just one of many rumors about his future, and Mercedes' improvements make it appear as though Alonso could have found more success and a better car if he had made the move to replace Hamilton when he apparently had the chance to do so.