Fernando Alonso is r❀eportedly ke𝔉eping 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 illustrious association ends when he moves to Ferrari next year.

Ferrari tying down Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, and McLaren extending Lando Norris’ contract, plus the possibility of an available Red Bull next year has also created seismic moveme𒈔nt in the driver market.

Aston Martin’s Al🥀onso has watched these early moves with “great interest”,  reports.

He is “🌠already trying to position himself” wꦛith the high-profile 2025 vacancies in mind.

His well-connected 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 onღ Toto Wolff's list yet, but is likely to be very soo𝓰n”.

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

“That's w𓂃hy I wouldn't rule a🥀nything out in Formula 1.

“Drivers make decisions about whether or not to ride for a team. It dep🐎ends on the circumstances.

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

"We will always strive to have the best possible driver combination in our ca꧒r and look for each and every one of these🍰 conversations.

“You can see how quickly a situation can change. At the same time, of course, we respect contracts that𝕴 exist.

“Driv♑ers will always want to sit in the fastest car.”

Alonso’s con𒈔tract with Aston Martin is due to expire at the end of this sea♚son.

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

But he shot back into form a year ago upon♒ his arrival at Aston Martin, rolling back the year𝓡s with six podiums in the first half of the season.

Alonso is no stranger 🍨to high-prℱofile moves to new teams, either.

After h🌜is two F1 titles with Renault he switched to McLaren where he was Hamilton🌠’s first teammate.

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

Even his move to🦹 Aston Martin fo🐼r the 2023 season was a bolt from the blue, when it emerged that he would replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel.

But could he now be the driver to replace Hamilto🎶n at Mercedes?