'Alonso? We're not interested,' says Marchionne

Ferrari may not have a single driver contracted for 2018, but Sergio Marchionne has ruled out hiring Fernando Alonso.

A return to the Scuderia was seen as a possible option for Alonso if he left  McLaren, but the Italian squad has apparently told the Spaniard that it is not interested in his services.

Marchionne also addressed the speculation surrounding Red Bull's Max Verstappen, also seen as a potential Ferrari driver next season.

"Alonso may well have shown the desire to return [to Ferrari], but he did not find the right response from our side," said Marchionne.

"We’re not interested.

"As for Verstappen we have not signed anything. Before the end of the year you'll know."

The Ferrari chairman said he was happy with the team's performance this season, praising Sebastian Vettel's results but also stating that Kimi Raikkonen needed to raise his game

• Marchionne sends Raikkonen another warning

Marchionne denied rumors that Vettel's seat at Ferrari had been under threat after the German drivers' antics in Baku.

The Fiat-Chrysler CEO did say however that the team had not been impressed by its drivers' road rage behaviour.

"I saw him on the Monday or Tuesday after Baku," said Marchionne.

"We met and we said that this was something to be avoided. We have now closed that chapter, so we must think of the races and not the personal squabbles. 

"Sebastian is aware of what happened. I understand the pressure and it was not an easy race. We lost the other car at the second corner in a manner that was not very correct.

"But I don’t want to talk about who behaved well and who did not."

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