Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has poured cold water over suggestions Fernando Alonso could return to his Formula One team for 2018.
Alonso, who raced at Ferrari between 2010 and 2014, has endured a disastrous spell at McLaren since his move to the Woking-based squad in 2015 and has already hinted his plans for next season are coming together with his current deal at McLaren due to expire at the end of this year.
Neither Sebastian Vettel nor Kimi Raikkonen are under contract with the Scuderia in 2018, though the Italian outfit is ready to renew Vettel's contract if he wants to stay. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Marchionne ruled out the possibility of the double world champion returning to Ferrari, while he also played down reports that Red Bull's Max Verstappen has agreed to join the team in 2019.
"Alonso may well have shown the desire to return, but he did not find the right response from our side," Marchionne said. "We're not interested. As for Verstappen we have not signed anything. Before the end of the year, you'll know."
There was also speculation in Austria over Vettel's future at Ferrari following his controversial clash with Lewis Hamilton during the Azerbiajan Grand Prix. While Marchionne said Ferrari had told Vettel it was not impressed by the Baku incident, it considered the matter to be closed.
"I saw him on the Monday or Tuesday after Baku," said Marchionne. "We said that this [incident] was something to be avoided. I think whatever my opinion is, it has been settled by the FIA decision. There is no use rehashing the story, it is what it is. I think the sooner we put it behind us the better it is. I think Sebastian has had to deal with, has complied with the request of the regulators and we will move it on from here.
"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."