Fernando Alonso has pounced on the opportunity to join Aston Martin for 2023.
The team announced the two-times world champion has joined them “on a multi-year contract”. He will take the place previously occupied by Sebastian Vettel, who announced last week he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the year.“This Aston Martin team is clearly applying the energy and commitment to win, and it is therefore one of the most exciting teams in Formula One today,” said Alonso.
Team owner Lawrence Stroll moved quickly to secure the services of Alonso after Vettel informed the team of his departure last week. He will drive alongside Stroll’s son Lance, who has been with them since 2019.
“I have known Lawrence and Lance for many years and it is very obvious that they have the ambition and passion to succeed in Formula 1,” said Alonso. “I have watched as the team has systematically attracted great people with winning pedigrees, and I have become aware of the huge commitment to new facilities and resources at Silverstone.”
Stroll has invested heavily in Aston Martin and is building a massive extension to their factory in Silverstone.
“No one in Formula 1 today is demonstrating a greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me,” said Alonso. “I still have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the front, and I want to be part of an organisation that is committed to learn, develop and succeed.
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“We all appreciate that there is much to be done to get to the front, and that we must apply all our energies in working together to find performance. The passion and desire to perform that I have witnessed convince me to maintain my enjoyment and commitment to the sport. I intend to win again in this sport and therefore I have to take the opportunities that feel right to me.”
Alonso returned to F1 with Alpine last season after a two-year absence. His contract was due for renewal at the end of the season.
Stroll said he has “known and admired Fernando for many years and it has always been clear that he is a committed winner like me.”
“I have set out to bring together the best people and develop the right resources and organisation to succeed in this highly competitive sport, and those plans are now taking shape at Silverstone,” he continued.
“It seemed natural therefore to invite Fernando to be part of the development of a winning team, and we very quickly established in our recent conversations that we have the same ambitions and values, and it was logical and easy to confirm our desire to work together.”
In a statement Alpine said they “wish Fernando the best for his future in Formula 1.
“Fernando has always been, and always will be, part of the Renault and Alpine family and we’re proud and privileged to have shared so many on-track moments together.”
His departure leaves a vacancy at the team alongside Esteban Ocon for next year. “We look forward to finishing the remainder of the 2022 season with Fernando in blue, and we’ll keep pushing to the maximum until the final lap in November,” it added. “The team will announce its driver line-up for the 2023 Formula 1 season in due course.”
View the current list of 2023 F1 drivers and teams
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2022 F1 season
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Broke1984 (@broke1984)
1st August 2022, 9:09
“Now we can fight”.
Seriously though. Backwards move that will make Aston Martin be the place of twilight careers. With Alonso moving it seems Gasley signed for AT too early
ttongsul (@ccpbioweapon)
1st August 2022, 14:08
@broke1984 AT are a complete joke this season falling further down the field becoming a back marker team, I hope Honda buys the team soon!
yes alonso is talking complete nonsense as the only reason he is signing for the team is because stroll snr offered him a huge contract but I can see AM beating alpine next season and being more of a threat, they built a fancy new factory, hired people from Mercedes and RB.
Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
1st August 2022, 9:15
Alpine pushed him out of their team, which explains a lot of things that happened this year, because otherwise it makes no sense.
bosyber (@bosyber)
1st August 2022, 10:17
It does feel like that might be a part of it yeah, though Alonso also has a knack for off-kilter team choices.
PT
1st August 2022, 10:55
Based on certain strange strategic decisions Alpine took this year, the most painful of which was Canada, that seemed purposefully carried out to pull Alonso down in the eventual race finishing order and favour Ocon, I wanted him to leave the team. Alpine seems so gracious in its press release but I think it was suffocating Alonso to bring in Piastri.
Dave
1st August 2022, 14:05
Alpine got what they wanted – or Rossi got what he wanted. Since he has taken the helm heads have been rolling.
First, he unexpectedly fired Prost and then Budkowski, who is highly regarded, quit out of the blue for reasons unknown.
Rossi then brought in Otmar, who is no friend of Alonso’s and reunited him with Ocon.
Rossi started making questionable statements such their goal was to have a winner within 10 years.
Alonso must have realized that was a warning shot across the bow as he wanted to be competitive ASAP.
Now they have the freedom to bring in Piastri, who gets high accolades but is an unknown. If he doesn’t perform up to expectations Rossi will not look smart.
And how will Piastri get along with Ocon, who has been known not to be the best teammate, will be interesting?
Piastri seems to be very aggressive so this could end up being a war.
Ocon is French and Alpine is a French team so Ocon isn’t going anywhere soon.
I think sparks will fly – Ocon is not going to let Piastri come in and rule the roost.
Rossi has zero experience in his current position – it will be interesting to see if he can survive.
I don’t think it was unreasonable for ALO to ask for two more years considering his performance – it is clear Rossi and Otmar wanted him out.
Aston recently got a big boost when some Saudi investor’s stepped in so this could be a great move for ALO.
One not so good thing for Alonso – with a customer engine (and Merc’s at that), a title is out of the question but I think at this point he just wants the chance for a podium.
In any case, I don’t think Alpine handed this very well and if Aston outperforms Alpine this year or if Alpine slips, Rossi will be looking for work.
David (@djarvis)
1st August 2022, 9:21
There were rumours alpine only wanted to sign him for one year but alonso wanted a multi year deal which is what Aston offered him.
There’ll be a few drivers eyeing up that Alpine seat for next season
Christopher Rehn (@chrischrill)
1st August 2022, 9:32
That seat can only belong to Oscar Piastri.
Hello_There2487
1st August 2022, 9:32
Reastically, there has got to be only one driver Alpine will consider. If Piastri is not in that seat next year, their driver academy reputation will be ruined.
Steph
1st August 2022, 9:25
Alpine seat is already taken by Piastri.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
1st August 2022, 9:28
*That feeling when driver switches in the F1 games seem implausible.
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
1st August 2022, 9:28
Honestly, pretty surprised by the announcement from Alonso here. Alpine has been doing well and is surely a better short term team for contention.
I wonder if Alonso and Seb spoke or if this is a classic Alonso opportunistic move, which as we all know haven’t planned out so well in recent years.
Manto
1st August 2022, 9:31
I doubt Seb would have retired if he knew the team investments could make AMR a race winner
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
1st August 2022, 10:08
@manto93 I believe there were multiple reasons for Seb retiring, but of course some of it must be related to performance.
That said AM are investing heavily in facilities and skills but maybe the forecast to regular points scoring / race winning / championship contention is too slow for Seb but acceptable to Alonso
Christopher Rehn (@chrischrill)
1st August 2022, 9:33
I think Alpine only offered a one-year contract without any driver clauses, Aston Martin probably rocked up with a 2+1 deal. Alonso wants to extend his career, and Aston Martin offered him the ability. It makes sense from that pov.
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
1st August 2022, 10:05
@chrischrill yes I’ve seen that as well, and I get that he wants security for a number of years. Maybe the Piastri threat was just too high at Alpine and he felt they were really pushing to get him in F1.
Manto
1st August 2022, 9:29
I wonder what the team sees in Ocon, they could have had Piastri to learn from Alonso which is one of the greatest, instead they have that guy that just as in RP fights teammates harder than rival cars.
Absolutely brilliant move when Ocon made Ric pass two cars in one corner
Andre
1st August 2022, 10:53
Indeed, to me it was already clear from the Force India days that Ocon wasn’t top-tier driver. He’s fast on occasions, but too inconsistent and a bit clumsy on the track. I am baffled that Alpine is letting Alonso go.
PT
1st August 2022, 11:07
It’s baffling, but not entirely out of the blue for me, considering some of the race strategies the team dished out to Alonso this year. I still can’t get over Canada. Alpine just didn’t want him. I feared something like this would happen when the top brass underwent a major shuffle. The venerable Alain Prost was shown the door. I was never a fan of Otmar coming in.
Mr Squiggle
2nd August 2022, 0:03
Indeed, Riccardo’s pass on two Alpines was a high-class stuff-up by Alpine.
I’m starting to wonder if Aston Martin’s deal with Alonso was done before Seb Vettel announced his retirement. Its all happened way too fast.
If Ocon knew that FA was leaving, it would explain his on-track behaviour.
I wonder what the chances are that Fernando misses a race or two, eg for COVID.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
1st August 2022, 9:32
So Alonso said this weekend that he wants to continue with Alpine and they could agree in ten minutes, then gets upset with Ocon during the race and gets offered a ton of money from Stroll and signs immediately? That is an interesting mind at work for sure… To be honest I want to support Alpine but I can’t bring myself to like Alonso, so I’m not upset about this deal. And with Lance being feisty with his teammates I can’t imagine that partnership will be a dream for him either. Bring on Piastri.
Christopher Rehn (@chrischrill)
1st August 2022, 9:34
Seeing how fast this deal was announced, I’m sure Alonso had a deal ready to sign a long time ago. This wasn’t agreed upon on Sunday morning, right? So Alonso’s “10 minute” comments make very little sense.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
1st August 2022, 10:01
They must have talked before, but with Vettel not deciding on his future until Wednesday evening, Aston couldn’t have given Alonso a real offer on paper much earlier than yesterday.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
1st August 2022, 17:53
@chrischrill Alpine contract talks:
Alonso: “I’ve signed for Aston Martin.”
I wonder what they discussed for the other 9 minutes 50 seconds.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
1st August 2022, 20:18
The money!
JV
1st August 2022, 10:27
Him wanting to continue with Alpine and signing with a different team is not that far out there. Alpine could have not wanted to continue with him. Also he can’t talk about the switch until everything is done, which could have also been the reason for him saying that he wants to stay at Alpine.
pastaman
1st August 2022, 14:42
An interesting mind at work thinking this deal was done in a day. Just because Vettel only recently announced his retirement doesn’t mean that the team weren’t aware for probably months that it would happen. On the outside, the decision seems quick, but negotiations have been going on for at least weeks and probably months.
jff
1st August 2022, 9:34
I hope this time it works for him. Alonso still has a lot of strong drives in him. Maybe not as consistent as in the past, but when he’s on it he is difficult to beat.
Also good to welcome Piastri to Renault.
(we will have at least one Aussie in F1 :P )
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
1st August 2022, 12:30
Oscar will have to impress with up coming Friday drives ..he is seems likely replacement but ?
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
1st August 2022, 9:37
Surely that’s the end of Alonso as a so called “force”. He’s hardly shaded Ocon like everyone expected him to and seems to now be just setting himself up for retirement.
Hopefully Piastri will be put in his Alpine seat.
MichaelN
1st August 2022, 10:02
Alonso has definitely been stronger than Ocon, but he’s also had a woeful season from the team’s perspective. Plenty of good drives have been ruined by the team fumbling around.
Still, it’s totally fair for Alpine to think long-term and not let Piastri go to waste.
Depailler
1st August 2022, 9:38
FernanDOH!
petebaldwin (@)
1st August 2022, 9:41
Hmmmm….. On 2022 pace, it’s a clear step backward but I think we all knew that without a Mercedes to copy, Aston were going to be pretty slow this year. They’re doing better than I expected! This year’s Mercedes is starting to show itself as a pretty good car so I wouldn’t be majorly surprised to see the 2023, sidepodless Aston move up the field.
On Aston’s side, I’m surprised they’re willing to expose Lance by putting him up against Alonso. Vettel is a driver in decline who doesn’t have the raw pace, focus or desire to win that he used to have. Alonso is a different beast.
Overall though, I’m happy to see him sign a multi-year deal for whatever team will offer him one. His involvement always adds a bit of fun to ever race I watch and it’ll be a great bit of encouragement to all the engineers working for Aston knowing that one of their cars is going to be raced by someone who will be able to extract a lot more out of it.
MichaelN
1st August 2022, 10:05
On the other hand, either Alonso crushes Stroll and Stroll still gets to keep his drive and tell his kids he drove with Vettel and Alonso once, or Stroll stays quite close to Alonso, learns a thing or two from him, and everyone ends up rich(er) and pleased. Stroll knows he’s never going to escape the image that he’s there because his dad pays for his hobby, so why not enjoy his time in F1, learn from the best, and then move on to some other form of racing in a couple of years.
Lamalas (@lamalas)
1st August 2022, 10:15
Excellent comment MichaelN, I fully agree! COTD for me.
Also: I hope Oscar Piastri gets the other set at Alpine.
petebaldwin (@)
1st August 2022, 10:16
Yeah I guess that’s fair enough… He’s certainly now got one of the best to learn from in the team with him.
Patrick (@paeschli)
1st August 2022, 12:08
We all know Stroll is here because of his dad’s money, but he hasn’t looked too out of place in recent seasons.
ttongsul (@ccpbioweapon)
1st August 2022, 13:45
@paeschli is this a joke? i don’t want to sound disrespectful but lance is useless, you could take any random young person off the street and invest $200m usd in their racing career and they would most likely have better results than lance. But I guess in this modern liberty media “everyone’s a winner” era finishing a race is considered an Ayrton Senna level of achievement now..
to answer op post, why is alonso beating lance a given? Alonso will be 42 next year and is already declining performance wise so I could see lance beating him.
This is why daddy Lawrence signed alonso, do you think after the amount of emotional and financial investment he has made in bringing his son to the position he is at he would hire a driver that will embarrass him? This is why stroll snr signed alonso, hes an established multiple wdc winner past his peak and beatable by his precious son. 2005 alonso would destroy lance, a 42 year old 2023 twilight year racing for the money only alonso is more than beatable by a younger journeyman.
petebaldwin (@)
1st August 2022, 14:27
We’ll see. I think present day Alonso is loads faster than present day Vettel.
Patrick (@paeschli)
1st August 2022, 15:42
@ccpbioweapon What you said applies to Mazepin but not Stroll IMHO.
Stroll is batter driver than Mazepin or Latino ever will be. He’s not the worst driver on the grid.
Tommy C (@tommy-c)
1st August 2022, 9:42
Did anyone else come to racefans to verify a headline they saw elsewhere? I couldn’t believe it at face value but if it’s reported here, I guess it must be true! I must say I thought this would be Alonso’s last year and his only reason for sticking around would be a realistic shot at the title. I can’t see that happening at Aston Martin next year but stranger things have happened I suppose!
MG1982 (@mg1982)
1st August 2022, 10:40
Me.
Simon
1st August 2022, 11:37
Not me. Probably 4th or 5th on the list.
Piastri announced at Alpine in due course
Tiaki Porangi
1st August 2022, 11:57
Haha. Same here.
Racefans is where I go to confirm F1 stuff, including whatever Andrew Benson writes over at the Beeb.
This is home!
mrfill (@mrfill)
1st August 2022, 9:42
‘Stroll said he has “known and admired Fernando for many years and it has always been clear that he is a committed winner like me.” ‘
He hasn’t won an F1 race for nearly 10 years…. That’s not very committed.
SHR Modding
1st August 2022, 11:22
That says a lot more about you than him to be honest
t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
1st August 2022, 9:45
Wow, I actually misread the headline at first because I was so sure he was going to resign for Alpine so just read it as ‘Alpine’ not ‘Aston Martin’. Very surprised, hope it works out for him, but going off his track record, it probably won’t! I do think he will destroy Lance in qualy/race performance levels though, I didn’t really expect Vettel to do so very convincingly, but Alonso definitely will.
Patrick (@paeschli)
1st August 2022, 12:09
Same here. I glanced over the headline and closed the tab.
Reopened the site a few hours later and only realized then it said AM and not Alpine.
RandomMallard
1st August 2022, 9:46
This aged well.
But in all seriousness, this seems to have been completed very quickly, considering Vettel apparently only told the team he intended to retire on Wednesday. Either that or AM had been planning a replacement for Stroll for a while (though for some reason I doubt that).
This I think gives a big opening for Piastri though. You have to think Alpine would want him to have a bit more track time though considering he’s not raced since December. He’s not allowed back in F2, so could they get him an Indy seat or something I wonder, just for a few races towards the end of the season to get him back used to proper racing? I don’t know, it could be interesting.
Trying to think who else could take that seat. Possibly Ricciardo, if McLaren end up wanting to replace him after all, and he knows Team Enstone very well already, or could Zhou move back into the Alpine camp (having been a junior driver with them in F2), which could free up room for Pourchaire at Alfa Romeo if they’re desperate to get him into F1. This is all pure speculation of course.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
1st August 2022, 9:57
Re: This aged well.
2 days is a long time in politics it would seem.
petebaldwin (@)
1st August 2022, 10:22
Sounds like he wanted to stay with Alpine but when he spoke to them, he realised they weren’t as keen to offer him the contract he was expecting. He’s in a position to get signed up to a multi-year deal currently but in 12 months, perhaps that won’t be the case. Aston could have signed someone else so that seat is gone, Alpine could go for Piastri and Ocon and the where does Fernando go? Williams or Haas etc… He’s now tied in to a team that will be somewhere in the midfield – if they get their photocopying right, they could even be near the front of the midfield.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
1st August 2022, 12:39
A sensible analysis I think.
ttongsul (@ccpbioweapon)
1st August 2022, 13:57
@petebaldwin Looks like my comment was true . It was a no brainer alonso moving to AM, huge paycheck towards the end of his F1 career, stroll snr gives his son an established old past his peak beatable multiple wdc team mate so when he does beat him he can claim he beat top drivers, frees up a seat at Alpine for Oscar..
Miltiadis (@miltosgreekfan)
1st August 2022, 9:47
I really don’t get that move… Alonso claimed that his return to the sport only happened for the 2022 regs shakeup, expecting to fight at the front if possible. While Alpine ain’t a top car this year,they are a top midfield car and their package is quite decent. Aston Martin on the other hand, are going backwards since Lawrence Stroll bought the team and i really doubt they’ll be able to become something better than best of the rest in 2023(AM has a lot of new stuff for 2023 but I can’t see them fighting the top 3). A weird move from Alonso’s side imo.
SHR Modding
1st August 2022, 11:24
Don’t think he had a choice. Looking at how alpine botched some of his races this year and the pressure to put piastri in the car it was clear alonso was the only one who wanted to stay at alpine.
Patrick (@paeschli)
1st August 2022, 12:14
The answer you’re looking for is money.
Two years being paid as the two-time champion he is, is better than maybe one year with Alpine.
LosD (@losd)
1st August 2022, 9:47
Aston Martin… Where racing careers goes to die.
knightameer (@knightameer)
1st August 2022, 13:04
Wrong. Racing careers die at Ferrari. Their disgruntled drivers switching to other teams is just an exercise to stay sane!!
Ruben
1st August 2022, 9:49
Alonso is gonna out race and out-politic Lance here.
Matt (@hollidog)
1st August 2022, 11:08
If he can’t get preferential treatment in a team with which he won two championships, what makes you think he can get it in a team where the other driver is the owners son?
Ruben
1st August 2022, 13:29
You’re right, I’m not sure if he can actually get preferential treatment. But I think (or: wouldn’t be surprised) he will either try (which can make life for the other side of the garage difficult and put a strain on inter team relationships) or become very cynical (which will have the same net result). Or both.
Ipsom
1st August 2022, 9:52
Might as well retire than go to AM. Pointless move that brings him nothing.
If Alonso is that interested in F1 maybe he should try out a team managerial role somewhere…
And pretty surprised from Alpine not wanting him to that extent. He’s been driving well since his comeback
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
1st August 2022, 20:25
I suppose with a decent salary, why not stay a couple more years, not like lawrence lacks money.
Sham (@sham)
1st August 2022, 9:56
Fernando’s contract decisions are nothing if not consistent.
I hope I’m wrong, but I think this is yet another mistake.
JA
1st August 2022, 9:57
Like the move from Aston Martin, they get experience and a still rather fast driver who despite the points have been outperformning his teammate. On the other hand I don’t get Alpine. This frees up the seat needed for Piastri, but why keep Ocon long term. He haven’t been developing much these past seasons and should be replaced in the future.. oh yeah, he is french. Wonder what they would have done if Hubert still lived. Personally would have stuck with Alonso alongside Piastri, but they should have done that last year.
Stephen H
1st August 2022, 9:59
Never thought he’d have left Team Enstone.
Opens up the Alpine seat for Piastri.
Lance is going to get obliterated.
Kribana (@krichelle)
1st August 2022, 10:00
I do not understand this move. F1 2022 driver transfer reality lol
marcusbreese (@marcusbreese)
1st August 2022, 10:02
Thoughts on this surprising announcement:
– Great for Alpine/Piastri, who is surely the shoe-in for that Alpine seat and probably better for Alpine than Fernando
– Team Silverstone have strong Jaguar energy under Stroll – despite throwing money and talent at the project there seems to be no operational or development nous about the team and they’ve lost what made them special during the FI/RP days. I don’t see them ever thriving with Stroll running the joint. In a few years they will get bought and turned around (Red Bull style) but I doubt Alonso will be there to see it
– Since his 1st stint at Renault, every single team Fernando has joined has gone down hill. Renault (2nd stint), Ferrari, Mclaren and now Alpine have all either stood still or gone backwards during his tenure. The guy’s a great driver and very good at playing the PR game but he doesn’t seem to be someone who develops a team.
– Vettel is probably chuckling to himself right now
Overall I think Alpine and Piastri are the big winners from this move, Aston Martin at least continue to have a champion in their midst and I guess Alonso will at least get a fat pay day from it but I can’t see much success coming his way.
Todfod (@todfod)
1st August 2022, 12:50
That’s the most nonsensical statement I’ve ever heard.
2007 – Alonso switches to Mclaren. Mclaren fight for the WDC after being the 3rd best car in 2006
2008 – Alonso switches to Renault, and instantly makes them more competitive. They finish the season 3rd after Mclaren and Ferrari.. including a race win in Japan
2010 – Alonso switches to Ferrari, and instantly made them a WDC contender after finishing 5th or 6th in the WCC in 2009. They haven’t launched a proper championship challenge since Alonso left them
2015 – This switch was the only one where a team went backwards… and I’m sure you’d like to blame Alonso for making that gem of a Honda engine
2021 – Enters Alpine and gets them P4 secured in the WCC.. something they were unable to do in 2020. Overall, they look like a much more competitive team under Alonso’s leadership than Ricciardo’s.
Gubstar
1st August 2022, 13:53
100% this!!! There are people with short memories, and then there’s the facts (which Todfod has stated here) In my personal opinion Fernando is the greatest driver of this last generation. If he had gone to Merc in 2013 you would be talking about a 9 time champion. (Yes I know F1 backwards is IF)
His pure talent unfortunately is overshadowed by the ‘Not a team player, never makes the right decision when joining teams’ statement by most fans……. but not in my eyes. His 2012 championship challenge was still for me the greatest season for any driver ever that didn’t end up with the title.
Jen
1st August 2022, 18:22
Thanks for saving me the time to make marcubreese eat crow.
davidhunter13 (@davidhunter13)
1st August 2022, 10:05
So Alpine will have a great car next season then? This feels like a step backwards for Alonso. Even if AM are investing it’s going to take years for that to bear any fruit. By which point Alonso absolutely will be too old to be competitive.
petebaldwin (@)
1st August 2022, 10:27
@davidhunter13 – I think it’s down to the contract length. If Alpine were only offering an additional year (and we don’t know they’ve ever offered him that), where does he move after that? The top teams are out, McLaren will try and get an Indycar driver in once Ricciardo leaves, Aston Martin would have filled the seat with someone else and then you’re left with Haas, Sauber, Williams etc…
It seems like he wants to hang around for a couple of years at least so I guess it’s the best option for him.
SHR Modding
1st August 2022, 11:48
No matter what the Aston pr machine says this is purely alonso being forced out of alpine and the only team which will sign him is Aston. And it’s a team which will not want to replace him either. This is not alonso jumping to a new project to win anything.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
1st August 2022, 12:39
@davidhunter13
I don’t think so. Alonso is well informed about the state of the Renault PU which is lagging compared to the Mercedes, not to mention the Honda and the Ferrari PUs. Alpine will be stuck with it till 2026, only reliability fixes will be permitted. As for the car, Aston Martin have invested heavily in the infrastructure and have already copied the RB18 concept. They are good at copying btw :)
They have also recruited a lot of RBR senior figures. Alpine on the other hand is not showing the same commitment as AM by letting the likes of Marcin Budkowski, Prost quitting and I don’t have much faith in Pat Fry when it comes to car design.
S
1st August 2022, 10:20
Alonso doesn’t seem to care what he drives anymore, just as long as it pays well.
I like the guy – he’s a real character and a great talent who lifts several bars in F1 – but this is a nonsense move if not for the money.
Raymond Pang
1st August 2022, 12:51
I think that’s somewhat unfair. The top teams are fully booked for next year, and likely for several years, depending on what happens with Perez and Hamilton. Then you have the current second tier of Alpine and McLaren, then tier 2.5 of Alfa, Aston Martin, Haas and Alpha Tauri. All those tier 2.5 teams are capable of making the step up to Alpine/McLaren levels, and if I was to put money on it, I’d say Aston Martin are the most likely.
Money might have had an influence, but I think the desire to race for years to come was the deciding factor.
S
1st August 2022, 13:27
A 1 year contract, and then there would be likely be another opportunity…..
Whatever – it’s his choice. He knows why he made it. It’s just not clear to anyone else.
Here’s hoping he doesn’t regret it – although I have no doubt he has plenty of ways to get out of it.
petebaldwin (@)
1st August 2022, 14:32
Another opportunity where though? Ferrar/RB/Merc aren’t going to be interested. McLaren will keep Lando and look towards Indycar for the 2nd seat. AM would have found someone else to replace Vettel so they’d be under contract… Then you’re left with teams like Haas, Alpha Romeo or Williams – none of them have more potential than AM.
S
1st August 2022, 15:24
You make it seem like he’s lucked into a great opportunity….
Since Stroll bought the team, they’ve really only gone backwards – minus the handful of races where they had a duplicate of the Merc, of course.
I’d suggest that McLaren certainly won’t restrict themselves to looking at a completely separate series, where drivers have a strong history of struggling when making the change in that direction. Alonso has history there, sure, but that was a long time ago and most of the executives from then have left.
Sauber wouldn’t necessarily be a worse option, either. I’d put it about level with Aston Martin – but then, they don’t have such deep pockets.
Which brings us right back to my initial comment…
David
1st August 2022, 10:41
Alonso in January 2010: ‘Ferrari will 100% be my last F1 team’
Well that didn’t age well..
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.motor1.com/news/19615/alonso-says-ferrari-will-be-last-f1-team/amp/
jff
1st August 2022, 11:17
Might still happen, and with the speed of changing teams it is quite likely as well.
I’d suggest the team principle role though.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
1st August 2022, 20:33
Ahah, “Binotto, alonso wants to come to ferrari, what do you think about that?” “He’s disruptive to the team, we prefer our current drivers” “He intends to replace you as team principal!”.
Kribana (@krichelle)
1st August 2022, 10:51
Yea that was my first reaction. But we’ll see.
superman
1st August 2022, 10:57
They better get a half decent driver next to him or Stroll is about to be destroyed!
Jackattack
1st August 2022, 11:09
Hungaroring 2022. Vettel: “From day 1 I felt like a number 2 there”. Alonso: “I preffer to stay at Alpine”.
jff
1st August 2022, 11:28
I never heard/read that.
Patrick (@paeschli)
1st August 2022, 12:20
Interested in a source for this quote as well.
Matt (@hollidog)
1st August 2022, 11:09
“…and I have become aware of the huge commitment to new facilities and resources at Silverstone.”
…
“He showed me a giant bag of money”
He’s not wrong though, I went past their base a few weeks ago on the way to a race of my own, and buildings are popping up like pimples on a teenager
OOliver
1st August 2022, 12:13
Has nothing to do with money. Alpine management are responsible.
Sam
1st August 2022, 11:10
Alonso is my favourite driver but this just leaves me with dismay. Aston is terrible currently and the odds of building a car that can compete for championships, let alone wins, seems many years off.
In contrast, he won Le Man 24 and the WEC championship. He could do that again from 2023 onwards when new manufacturers start arriving and he faces a challenge other than the sister car. He won the Daytona 24 in an incredible drive (it was like he was Alonso of 2012 again) and is surely IMSA championship material. He tried to win the Indy 500 but failed, but if Ericsson can win Indy and is second in the championship surely Alonso has a decent shot at both.
hyoko
1st August 2022, 11:22
Yep, no sense (except maybe monetary) for Nando to remain in F1 unless he can make it to a top 3 team which seems very unlikely. Alpine was a long-shot bet that didn’t pay off (Nando is consistent if anything) and I guess AMR is not going to be an improvement. A (more successful driving career outside F1 is still a possibility, but time ticks off.
Now I wouldn’t be surprised if next year Alpine develops into a megateam that wins everything…
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
1st August 2022, 20:35
I would be surprised if alpine win anything next year or decade, but so goes for AM!
Neil (@neilosjames)
1st August 2022, 11:15
The greatest probability is that he had a choice of not winning at Alpine, or not winning at Aston Martin. So he went with the one who’ll pay him the most to not win.
Makes perfect sense for a (hate to say it, but it’s true) post-peak driver who’s only got a couple of years left.
Wheel Nut (@wheel-nut)
1st August 2022, 11:19
Welcome to Aston Martin – the premier retirement home for ex-F1 world champions
Jere (@jerejj)
1st August 2022, 11:24
LOL. He seemed wholly sure to stay put in Team Enstone.
Very surprising, he suddenly changed his mind.
Good news for Piastri as he’ll 100% (not even 99) certainly succeed him as Ocon’s next teammate.
SHR Modding
1st August 2022, 11:52
Alpine wanted him out. Its pretty clear if it was all up to alonso he’d still be at alpine till 2024
Derek Edwards
1st August 2022, 11:25
Both pretty sure of themselves as well!
JohnH (@johnrkh)
1st August 2022, 11:29
Well, Alonso’s move does seem like a step backwards but perhaps AM will be copying the Redbull next year hoping to move up the field.
This certainly is a golden opportunity for Piastri if, given the chance. The Alpine/Renault has shown to be a solid midfield performer.
David BR (@david-br)
1st August 2022, 11:35
This is why it’s difficult to ever take Alonso seriously whenever he implies that other drivers have had more luck with teams. Alpine to Aston Martin means Alonso dropping from racing alongside McLaren and getting a sniff of the podium at least to racing near the back for the foreseeable future. Why?! Money? Another year in Formula 1? I don’t understand it. Surely being at least visible in races and causing problems for the top teams is more fun, more satisfying, than a bit more cash? His team swapping decisions and/or interpersonal dynamics are terrible, a truly wasted talent.
SHR Modding
1st August 2022, 11:53
I think the answer you’re looking for is Piastri
Peter707
1st August 2022, 11:39
Multi-year deal from the 2023 season onwards with the driver who is actually 4 years older than the second-oldest driver of the field.
I’m speechless.
GeeMac (@geemac)
1st August 2022, 11:40
I honestly think this is a mistake for Alonso…I want to be proved wrong because a driver of his talents needs to be in a competitive car, but I don’t think I will be. Aston Martin seem to be stagnating in the midfield, but I suppose only time will tell.
From a selfish perspective this move also scuppers Williams chances of landing Piastri, because is obviously the logical candidate to get the now vacant second Alpine seat.
SHR Modding
1st August 2022, 11:55
This while thing is a result of alpine wanting piastri in the car.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
1st August 2022, 12:48
@geemac
Alonso have zero chance to get a Ferrari, Mercedes or a RBR seat till 2025. He left Ferrari in bad terms and even if the management has forgot, they have already given the overhyped useless Sainz a two years deal that expires at the end of 2024. RBR doesn’t want any driver that have the ability to bother Verstappen.
Wolff has previously stated that due to Alonso’s history with the Mercedes brand (Spygate), he will never be considered as a driver to race for them. He only used his name as a bluffing card when negotiating Hamilton’s contract extension over the year after Rosberg’s retirement. He didn’t block his move to Aston Martin , a Mercedes customer, due to the relationship he has with daddy Stroll.
Monetizing in his last years in the sport might not be a bad idea after all.
Diego
1st August 2022, 11:46
Poor Alonso…he’ll probably make 20 mil a year…
Qeki (@qeki)
1st August 2022, 11:53
Wow. My first impression was Alonso is just trolling F1 and do whatever he likes. He will possibly give a seat to Piastri
Patrick (@paeschli)
1st August 2022, 12:05
I guess money + a 2 year deal we’re enough for Alonso to prefer signing for a lower ranked team
OOliver
1st August 2022, 12:17
I’m surprised many here are convinced it is because of money Alonso made the move. I don’t think that is the case. The management of Alpine have been making conflicting statements regarding the coming season(s) and they want to commit to younger drivers. AM are are team in need of an experienced driver and will be willing to listen.
Todfod (@todfod)
1st August 2022, 13:03
Agree.. but I don’t see what Alonso is getting out of this. To be honest, neither Alpine or Aston will challenge for the title next year. Two years from now, you have to be on the grid to have any chance of at least fighting for wins. I guess Aston gave him that and Alpine didn’t offer him more than 1 year.
OOliver
1st August 2022, 13:18
Whatever you may accuse Alonso of you can’t say he isn’t an optimist.
t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
1st August 2022, 14:06
I also don’t think it’s about money, the guy must be one of the richest guys from Spain at this point! It could only be about Alpine not willing to give him more than a year, or I’m also thinking maybe Alonso is looking to go into team management or something once he’s done as a driver, and maybe he’s been given some sort of ‘post F1 driver’ career option by AM.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
1st August 2022, 12:56
I doubt Fernando was very motivated by the money on offer. I am sure he would have preferred to stay at Alpine but, if the rumours are true, they would only offer him a one year extension. I think he see’s himself as the elder statesman who will stick around for a couple of years and help build a team into something better. Alpine were not willing to go along.
I never felt his time at Alpine has quite come together. He’s often looked good in qualifying but race days have fairly often been disappointing. I have never felt they were committed to him as he was to them. I cannot see Ocon ever proving to be on the Max/Charles/Lewis level so this does seem strange of their part.
From AM’s point of view I think Lawrence has always liked the idea of having a big name in the team rather than a younger, less experienced driver. So Fernando was a very logical target from their point of view.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
1st August 2022, 15:12
@phil-f1-21 From a marketing perspective, if Aston Martin can’t win then its best bet is to have drivers like Vettel and Alonso drive for them. It gives the brand legitimacy as a supercar manufacturer.
Emma
1st August 2022, 12:59
Unlike many of the commenters here, I actually think next year’s Aston will be a better challenger than the Alpine. Not good enough to mount a title bid mind – for that, he’d have to try one of the top three which isn’t possible. I also don’t think he necessarily wanted out of Alpine but rather a contract acceptable to both parties wasn’t forthcoming.
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
1st August 2022, 13:13
Not the news I wanted to hear. Alonso deserves a much better car. As did Vettel…
Fernando should have Perez’s seat and Perez should be at Aston Martin.
ttongsul (@ccpbioweapon)
1st August 2022, 13:28
I’m amazed that people are surprised by this news, check my post history and I literally said this last week that either him or hulk was a slam dunk no brainer deal.
I don’t understand why fanboys delude themselves about alonso, he is in the twilight of his racing career and only racing for the high wages riding his past glory name recognition. Signing for AM was the most logical move: he takes a mega contract from daddy stroll and can retire with some dignity intact as the team isn’t a total joke, stroll has a established 2xWDC past his peak drover so when precious son beats him he can gloat how good his untalented son is, frees up alpine seat for F2 champion Oscar Piastri.
Aston martin IS STROLL gp owned by Lawrence stroll who is the father of Lance stroll, he spent over $200m USD (excluding buying force india ) grooming his son to be in F1 so a driver like Alonso is a perfect signing.
As the team is built around Lance the final piece of the puzzle is an established world champion driver way past his peak so when lance retires in 2040(!) he can say “look see how good and deserving of an F1 seat because i beat multiple WDC team mates “.
Lets get one thing clear alonso is ONLY moving to Stoll F1 for the money, he knows he is past his peak and is nowhere close to the driver he was in 2005 and he’s basically seeing these twilight seasons as a free top up to his pension and when Laurence comes calling offering an insane 8 figure contract to be most likely be beaten by lance he obviously took it.
I am personally over the moon that he finally is leaving alpine and should’ve gone at the end of last season giving Oscar Piastri his race seat. Oscar is a mega talent winning both F3 and F2 titles in his rookie season so its a win win for alpine, get high wage bill seat blocker off the books and sign a faster rookie who might be the next Lewis Hamilton for peanut wages.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
1st August 2022, 20:46
I have a hard time seeing stroll outperform alonso, even if he’s really starting to get to schumacher’s 2nd career’s age.
Barra
1st August 2022, 13:38
Pay him out now and put Oscar in for the rest of 2022.
Green Flag (@greenflag)
1st August 2022, 15:32
Aston Martin will only show true commitment to win when it dumps Lance Stroll. Simple as that.
Adam Tate
1st August 2022, 17:23
THe only place Alonso has found continued success has been at team Enstone, back in his Renault days, and yet he always leaves them to chase something flashy; first it was McLaren which blew up in his face and then he returned. Then it was Ferrari which never quite worked out. I feel like Aston Martin will be much the same and then maybe he will finally retire. I think part of his urgency to sign with Aston is to try and have better results there than Vettel did. I feel Alonso is still pretty bitter that he hasn’t had the wins and championships that both Vettel and Hamilton have.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
1st August 2022, 20:49
That might make sense, and I have no doubt he will do better than vettel given the same car performance relative to the field.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
1st August 2022, 19:39
It would seem quite unlikely that Fernando and his team would make a spur of the moment decision but reading this article you really do have to wonder. It almost sounds as if Fernando had some talks with Alpine re the contract extension again this weekend but they still dragged their heals. Then he had the incident with Ocon in the race, which must have really hacked him off, especially after last year at this same circuit.
You can imagine Stroll or his envoys contacting him after the race and saying, look the contract is all ready to sign, here’s our improved salary offer, we can have this signed tonight. Don’t bother with being messed around by Alpine. We want you!
Win7Golf (@win7golf)
1st August 2022, 19:40
Too bqd.
I was hoping Aston Martin would improve.
But with Alonso going in, it means it will not…
Alonso is the worst driver in choosing teams… Each team he joins, gets worst…
MPH
1st August 2022, 21:47
Wherever Alonso goes there will be conflict and disruption. Let’s count down 100, 99, 98
Ancient1 (@ancient1)
2nd August 2022, 17:04
AUSSIE!!! AUSSIE!!! AUSSIE!!!
Commonsense would be to have PIA in the car as much as possible, even full events for the rest of the year.
No surprise as rumour mill was VET out & ALO to AM very early in the year.