F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Hamilton: 'Alonso and Mercedes isn't going to happen!'

If Lewis Hamilton has anything to say about it, Fernando Alonso won't be joining Mercedes anytime soon.

The McLaren driver's contract expires at the end of 2017 and it seems highly improbable, at this stage at least, that the Spaniard would extend his lease at Woking.

Pundits therefore are already relishing the prospect of a move to Mercedes  and a mega-battle in-house with Lewis Hamilton.

But the Brit is hardly keen on such an outlook when asked in Shanghai yesterday.

"It's not going to happen," he said.

"If you have got two kilos on either side, and then take the two kilos off and put four on, what is the point? You need the balance," he said.

Hamilton thinks the balance at Mercedes is perfectly right as it stands with current team mate Valtteri Bottas. A judgement whihc Mercedes boss Toto Wolff agrees with.

"Again here he is only two tenths behind Lewis, which is a strong performance given how great Hamilton's (qualifying) lap was," said Wolff.

"I am also very happy about how well Lewis and Valtteri work together."

Would the 'entente' be just as good if Bottas was beating Hamilton ? We hope to soon find that out...

GALLERY: All the pictures from Saturday in Shanghai

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Russell impressed by Mercedes rivals’ power unit strength

While Mercedes spent the first week of the 2026 shakedown in Barcelona looking like a…

13 hours ago

Gasly invests in MotoGP team Tech3 as Steiner-led era begins

Pierre Gasly is adding a new kind of horsepower to his career. The Alpine F1…

15 hours ago

Jo Bonnier: A true gentleman racer

Sweden's Jo Bonnier, who was born on this day in 1930, enjoyed a career in…

17 hours ago

Barcelona Gallery: Tracking F1's technical revolution on track

While the stopwatches and spreadsheets provided the hard data, the visual spectacle of the 2026…

17 hours ago

Schumacher ’94: Netflix revisits legend’s epic first F1 title

Netflix is gearing up to transport viewers back to one of Formula 1’s most volatile…

18 hours ago

Formula 1’s Barcelona Shakedown by the numbers

The 2026 Formula 1 era roared to life in Barcelona this week, offering a first…

19 hours ago