Fernando Alonso's Hopes of Joining Ferrari or Mercedes Could Be Gone

After three long, hard, difficult, tormenting years at McLaren-Honda, Fernando Alonso is looking for an out. Both Ferrari and Mercedes have piqued his interest, and until now, they looked to be viable options for the two-time World Champion. However, after a statement from FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne and Mercedes boss Niki Lauda, opportunities could be vanishing before they even arise.

A report from Autoweek claims that Marchionne told the press that Ferrari is "not interested" in Alonso, who left the Maranello team for Woking in 2014. It seemed to be a perfect fit for the Spaniard star with Vettel and Raikkonen's contracts expiring soon. Even ex-F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that Ferrari should consider 'Nando, but after what Sergio said, things seem bleak for the struggling driver.

In addition to that, Mercedes doesn't seem to be welcoming him with open arms, either. Team chairman and former F1 star Lauda told Spain's AS newspaper "I do not think Ferrari wants to have him again. He left with a contract, which is the same as what happened with him and McLaren-Mercedes." If that's any indication of what the silver-arrow team thinks of Alonso, it's not likely that we'll see him branded with Petronas across his chest anytime soon.

So, where else could Fernando go? The top two competitors in the sport don't seem to want him, and if he wants to have a car worth driving, there aren't many options. According to him, McLaren has until October to get things sorted out—if not, he'll be leaving without issue.

What do you think Alonso will do? Settle for less money somewhere else, or hang up his gloves at the ripe age of 35? Regardless, it'll be sure to shock the sport, leaving plenty of questions to be answered.