The silly season has come early in 2024 with the majority of the grid without a contract for next year. Lewis Hamilton ‘s Ferrari move opened a seat at Mercedes while the likes of Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso were looking for a new drive. However, Alonso has ended speculation over his future with a two-year extension with Aston Martin.
The two-time world champion hopes to fight for the championship with the Silverstone-based team in the coming seasons. Aston Martin will become a works team courtesy of its exclusive power units deal with Honda from 2026. As such, many drivers were willing to potentially join the British outfit. However, the team seems set to continue with Lance Stroll alongside Fernando Alonso for the future.
Alonso’s switch will have major ramifications for the driver market. The 42-year-old was the only world champion without a contract for next season. Albeit there have been rumors of Max Verstappen potentially leaving Red Bull. This begs the question, what does Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin move means for the 2025 driver market?
Mercedes loses its rumored Plan B
Mercedes needs to find a suitable driver to fill in the shoes of Lewis Hamilton. The Silver Arrows have expressed confidence in 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli. With Toto Wolff claiming that the Italian was in the strongest position to replace Hamilton. However, it remains a risk to promote a young driver straight after his rookie F2 campaign.
The Silver Arrows will conduct extensive testing with Antonelli in old F1 machinery to evaluate him for Hamilton’s seat. It was believed that Fernando Alonso would’ve been the backup option for Mercedes if Kimi Antonelli fails to prove himself. Alonso’s decision has taken away potentially the best option for Toto Wolff.
Nevertheless, Wolff’s squad has reportedly offered a two-year deal to Carlos Sainz. However, there has been no official word about such a move from the Silver Arrows. Moreover, Toto Wolff has left the door open for Max Verstappen for the time being.
Carlos Sainz misses out on a potential Aston Martin move
Carlos Sainz is one of the biggest names available for next season. The 29-year-old has showcased his talent this year after an incredible victory at the Australian GP. Sainz reportedly is on the list of a few teams. However, Alonso’s move takes away an option to join Aston Martin.
The 29-year-old reportedly received a two-week ultimatum from Audi for next season. However, this would be a gamble considering the poor performance of the Sauber squad so far. On the other hand, a move to Red Bull might not be ideal due to his history with Max Verstappen at Toro Rosso.
Aston Martin would’ve been a safe bet for Carlos Sainz as a stable team without the fear of a competitive teammate in the form of Lance Stroll. Sainz could be looking at Mercedes at the moment. Although, the Silver Arrows have struggled in F1’s ground-effect era. As such, the 29-year-old could be up for a couple of disappointing seasons if he joins the Brackley-based team.
Audi’s position strengthens in the F1 driver market
Audi will complete a full takeover of the Sauber F1 team in 2026. The German carmaker plans to replace its current driver lineup of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. With Fernando Alonso securing his seat at Aston Martin, Audi emerges stronger as one of the few promising options for someone like Carlos Sainz.
Nico Hulkenberg and Sainz are two drivers rumored to be on Audi’s radar. The German carmaker hopes to convince the two by the promise of its resources in 2026. However, the current state of Sauber shows that it would be a long-term project. Nevertheless, as more options close on the grid, Audi will gain more power in negotiations.
Moreover, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon might be willing to discuss a future move with the German driver amidst Alpine’s disastrous 2024 season. Williams driver Alex Albon might express his interest in the German carmaker if the British-Thai driver fails to secure a seat at the top teams.
Uncertainty looms over Yuki Tsunoda’s career
Yuki Tsunoda made his F1 debut with AlphaTauri (now RB) in 2021. The Honda prodigy had a rough start to his career in the pinnacle of motorsport. Although, the Japanese driver has grown over the years and finally delivered consistent results.
Tsunoda has managed to outperform Daniel Ricciardo this season with the 23-year-old scoring the only points for RB so far. However, Red Bull seem less interested in promoting the Japanese driver to Milton Keynes in the future. As the Austrian team remains open on evaluating options outside its driver pool with at least 16 interested drivers.
Previously, Yuki Tsunoda was believed to be set for a switch to Aston Martin in 2026 with Honda’s partnership. The Japanese carmaker wanted to keep Tsunoda under its wings. However, Fernando Alonso’s contract extension leaves no room for the 23-year-old. Moreover, Honda has seemingly mended its relations with Alonso despite a dramatic fallout in 2017.
Tsunoda’s future remains uncertain for the time being. The Japanese driver has lost his best option for 2025. Now, the 23-year-old would need to push for a seat at Red Bull or potentially try to find a seat elsewhere on the grid. As Milton Keynes could decide to replace Yuki Tsunoda for one of its junior drivers after Honda switches to Team Silverstone.
The F1 driver market has got busier with Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin announcement. Drivers and teams might look to speed up negotiations to make their ideal deals in time. With over 10 seats vacant for next season, fans could expect a massive shake-up on the grid for 2025 right before the start of F1’s new era. Certainly, this could bring in a few surprises for the paddock as the silly season continues to grab headlines.
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