F1 icon Jenson Button expresses his wish for his 'man crush' Fernando Alonso to take over Lewis Hamilton's position at Mercedes.
The coveted Silver Arrows seat will be up for grabs after Hamilton's departure at the end of the upcoming season, presenting team principal Toto Wolff with various options to consider.
Hamilton allegedly caught Wolff off guard by revealing his decision to join Ferrari in 2025 just a day before the news went public.
With the Silver Arrows vacancy announced well in advance, several top drivers are likely to vie for the opportunity to fill Hamilton's role. Button believes that two-time world champion Alonso, currently competing for Aston Martin, is deserving of a chance.
"Alongside George [Russell]? I might have a man crush on my ex-team-mate Fernando Alonso," he told the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel.
"I'd love to see Fernando Alonso. He is 42 now but I think but the hunger is there. If the hunger is there, the fitness is there. He drives every day. He's driving a go-kart or some form of race kart. If it's there, I think it'd be a cool partnership. I think they'd learn from each other pretty well and I think they'd work well together."
Despite his age and brief retirement between 2019 and 2021, Alonso continues to perform at a remarkably high level. Last season, he single-handedly achieved all eight of Aston's podiums and accumulated nearly three times as many points as his teammate, Lance Stroll.
On February 3, Hamilton finally opened up on the decision to quit Mercedes in 2025 and sign for Ferrari.
Hamilton, 39, clinched six of his seven world championships during his 11-year tenure with Mercedes.
Despite renewing his contract last August, the British racing icon has opted to join Ferrari after the upcoming 2024 season concludes.
Hamilton has shared that he will fulfil a "childhood dream" by transitioning to Ferrari for the next season.
The seven-time Drivers' champion will part ways with Mercedes at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign, concluding a partnership that commenced in 2013. However, the German automaker has been a constant presence throughout his career, stemming from its connections with McLaren in the late 1990s and 2000s.
