Exec Dir Toto Wolff said that Mercedes is "thinking about signing McLaren driver Fernando Alonso to replace Nico Rosberg," according to the BBC. A move would reunite Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, who had a "stormy" partnership at McLaren in '07. Wolff said, "You have to consider Fernando. He is a driver I respect a lot. He combines talent, speed and experience. It's all there." However, the cost of buying out Alonso's contract and the Spaniard's "turbulent relationship" with Hamilton could yet prove to be "stumbling blocks." Alonso and Hamilton had "one troubled season together at McLaren," leading to the Spaniard leaving the team after agreeing to an early release from his contract. Two-time champion Alonso is entering the final year of his contract, which may force Mercedes to look elsewhere. Former Mercedes test driver Pascal Wehrlein, 22, remains "the most realistic target" to join British three-time champion Hamilton, who recently said he "doesn't care" who Mercedes picks. Wolff added, "He [Alonso] is in a contract with McLaren-Honda at the moment and we just need to weigh all the other options up" (BBC, 12/6).