Mercedes would look to sign Fernando Alonso for the 2016 season if they fail to agree new terms with current driver and champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Briton has yet to agree to a contract extension beyond 2015 after he and the team agreed to put talks on hold until the end of the season.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff had hoped to conclude a deal in December, but that hasn’t happened. However he remains confident they’ll agree something soon.
“There’s no hurry yet, we’ll discuss it during the year,” Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport.
However should that not happen for some reason, Wolff already has other drivers in his sights with Alonso the top priority. The Spaniard recently signed a multi-year deal with McLaren, but it’s believed he has the option to leave after just one year if the MP4-30 fails to deliver.
“I’m optimistic, the priority is to carry on with these drivers [Hamilton and Nico Rosberg],” added Wolff. “Should it be impossible, then Alonso represents the top alternative, followed by [Valtteri] Bottas.
“He is a dangerous rival with any car,” he said of Alonso. “If he is at the wheel of a car that can finish sixth, he will take it to third place.”
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