Fernando Alonso is reportedly keeping a close eye on the looming Mercedes vacancy created by Lewis Hamilton’s 💜exit.

Hamilton will spend the F1 2024 season with Mercedes before their illustri♋ous association ends when he moves to Ferrari next year.

Ferrari tying down Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, and McLaren extending Lando Norrisꦜ’ contract, plus the possibility of an available Red Bull next year has als❀o created seismic movement in the driver market.

Aston Martin’s Alonso has watched these early move💦s with “great interest”♐,  reports.

He is “already trying🍸 to position himself” with the high-prof⛦ile 2025 vacancies in mind.

His well-con🌼nected manager Flavio Briatore, who brought him from Alpine to Aston Martin at the end of 2022, is a key figure because of his prominence 🅠in the paddock.

However, the same report states that Alonso “may not be on Toto W🃏olff's list yet, but is likely 🔯to be very soon”.

was: “I wouldn't have thought that Lewis would tell me that he was going to drive for Ferrari next year.

“That's why I wouldn't rule anyt🎐hing out in Formula 1.

“Drivers make decisions about wheth♚er or not to ride for a team. It depends on the circumstances.

“And if at some point a driver says he doesn't want to drive anymore, there is little remedy for it. That's why ꦰI wouldn't rule anything out, no one at an♑y time.

"We will alw꧋ays strive to have the 🔴best possible driver combination in our car and look for each and every one of these conversations.

“You can see how quickly a situation can change. Aဣt the same time𒉰, of course, we respect contracts that exist.

“Drivers will always want to sit in theღ fastest 𒆙car.”

Alonso’s contrac🎀t with Aston Martin is due to expire at the end of this season.

At 42, he is the oldest driver on the F1 grid.

But he shot back into form a yea𓃲r ago upon his arrival at Aston Martin, rolling back the years with six podiums in the first half of the season꧙.

Alonso is no stranger to high-profile moves to new teams, ei﷽ther.

After his two F🔯1 titles with Renault he switched to McLaren where he was Hamilton’s first teammate.

He then later a big🐻-money switch to Ferrari which went sour, so he went back to McLaren.

𒈔Even his move to Aston Martin for the 2023 season was a bolt from the blue, 💟when it emerged that he would replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel.

But could he ඣnow be the driver to replace Hamilton at Mercꦦedes?