As his relationship with Ferrari progressively dissolved in 2014, Fernando Alonso's management made a bid for a Mercedes drive in a scheme which would have involved a sensational swap with Lewis Hamilton.
The ploy failed miserably, perhaps because Hamilton - if he was aware of the talks - knew all too well that he would have been abandoning the substance for the shadow.
"There was a try to do this, yes," Alonso told Spanish broadcaster Cadena SER.
"The circumstances for this idea existed but at the time Ferrari did not want it. They were in negotiations to renew with me until 2019, but in the end, Ferrari did not convince me and I went to McLaren-Honda."
Depsite a dismal 2015 season with McLaren and Ferrari's return to form, Alonso dismisses any idea that his leaving the Scuderia was ill-advised.
"I did not want to stay at Ferrari to be third until 2019. They were changing times at Ferrari and I still say that it was the right moment to close a wonderful story for me."
Follow live coverage and timing from pre-season testing here
Who is driving when during the second pre-season test
Second pre-season test preview
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
