MERCEDES is suing Fernando Alonso to upgrade Lewis Hamilton, according to reports.
The Silver Arrows are expected to have huge boots to fill, as seven-time world champion Hamilton, 39, will join Ferrari next season.
The Toto Wolff team has admitted that it would love to have Max Verstappen on board.
He said of the Red Bull star: “There’s no team that does the handstand to have him in the car.
However, with Verstappen under contract until 2028, Wolff will most likely have to look elsewhere.
Ahead of the season, the 52-year-old admitted he will have to make a big decision on whether to opt for youngsters or enjoy replacing Hamilton.
According to Bild, Mercedes could opt for the latter, with Alonso in the spotlight.
The 42-year-old Spaniard has a “good chance” of finishing off Mercedes, and the Silver Arrows are already “taking care” of Alonso.
The two-time world champion’s contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of the season.
Last month, he said of his future: “If I need to keep racing beyond this year, the first and the one that will be talked about at the beginning will be Aston Martin. “
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“I am confident in this mission and it will be my first priority. But if we can’t come to an agreement, I know I’m horny with the other teams.
“I’m going to stay in Formula 1 just for fun. I’m that kind of user or that kind of driver. Let’s see what the features are. “
Alonso has failed to get on the podium in his Aston Martin this season.
He finished ninth in the first setting in Bahrain, before finishing fifth in Saudi Arabia.
If Mercedes opts for youth, it may turn to 17-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The prodigy competes this season in Formula 2 for Prema Racing.
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