Aston Martin expect new signing Fernando Alonso will remain with them long enough to fight for the world championship.
The team has hired the 41-year-old two-times champion to replace Sebastian Vettel, who will retire from F1 at the end of the year.Aston Martin targeted competing for world championships within five years when it rebranded last year. Although Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid, team principal Mike Krack is confident he will remain with them long enough to realise that goal.
“I would not be surprised if this is going on, to be honest,” he told media including RaceFans at Spa-Francorchamps today. “So from that point of view, yes.”
The team has “no concerns at all” about Alonso’s form dropping off when he starts his 20th season in F1 with them next year. “We always say 40 is the new 30, so from that point of view, he’s quite a young driver,” Krack joked.
“We have no such concerns. He’s still demonstrating today that he’s still super-fast and we do not expect any drop-off at all.”
Krack said Alonso’s swift decision to join Aston Martin, after he failed to agree terms with his current team Alpine, shows his faith in their plan to become championship contenders.
“He sees big potential in this team, in what we are doing, in how we are changing our infrastructure. We are recruiting very good people.
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“So I think he sees potential here. For me we’re not here [just] to race Alpine, we are here to race all and try to be the best of them. And I think for Fernando to make this change is also big confidence and trust in us.”
The team pounced on the opportunity to sign Alonso after Vettel told them he did not intend to continue racing. “Sebastian was our focus subject and only when he said ‘I stop’ we really started to go quick in the whole process,” Krack explained.
“You always observe a bit the market. You are in touch with the people and you know what situations are. For us, it was always exploratory with a lot of drivers.”
There were no sticking points in convincing Alonso to take up the opportunity to join them, Krack added. “When you look at the speed of the deal, I think there were not many obstacles.”
The team’s staff were informed of Alonso’s signing immediately after the previous race in Hungary and reacted to it positively, said Krack.
“There was a huge smile, huge,” he said. “We informed, obviously, our team before we told you guys and the design office has never been as loud as for these 10 minutes.
“So I think it’s a big boost for the team. It’s also a very big proof of intention from the management and from the team. To sign a driver like that, it is clear what the ambition is.”
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Sham (@sham)
25th August 2022, 12:37
He’ll be there until he retires or manages to get a competitive offer from a team more likely to take a backwards step.
btcamp (@btcamp)
25th August 2022, 16:51
This.
Alonso is the king of 1) burning bridges and 2) working his way down the grid while making it look like it’s all part of El PLan
Red Pill (@redpill)
26th August 2022, 6:24
@sham @btcamp
This, +1
q85
26th August 2022, 8:53
You guys need to stop reading ‘clickbait’ and funding bad websites by doing so.
Burned so many bridges he has driven for enstone 3 times and McLaren twice (and its indy team). Even when he left Ferrari there was many murmurs from staff that they wished he was still there over Seb.
Horacio (@ahoracio)
25th August 2022, 12:47
He is 41 years old. Time to call it a day and let younger drivers have at it. Next year he is not gonna get younger and his teammate will be Lance Stroll, fercrissake. Is all down the slope from now on.
rodewulf (@rodewulf)
25th August 2022, 13:37
Naysayer!
alex
25th August 2022, 21:01
Ageism is a disease. He’s still fast. Give it a break.
StuBen (@stuben)
25th August 2022, 22:09
@ahoracio I’m not so sure. Was never a massive fan in his early days but you can’t deny he still has everything needed to compete and competitively too. It’s funny that you mention Stroll as to choose between Alonso and a new Stroll really shouldn’t be a choice. A champion still wringing the neck of a beast or a fresh journeyman who will never amount to more than the odd flash every other season.
Young talent who can improve on who they replace yes please, a young nobody for the sake of it, no thanks.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
26th August 2022, 4:18
Alonso will destroy Stroll completely next year, and if daddy lets it go on for five years in a row, then I will be completely entertained.
Mike43
25th August 2022, 13:05
Somebody should tell this old man that he only won a WDC because FIA was tired of Schumacher/Ferrari winning.
His only decent skill is choosing the weakest team mate as possible to make him look good.
Witan
25th August 2022, 13:17
Aston Martin, the retirement home for old racers?
Bruno Verrari
25th August 2022, 15:07
Like Red Bull was, with Uncle Dave and Webbo#2!
iCarbs (@icarby)
25th August 2022, 13:50
I think he is mad, racing in his mid 40’s…
StuBen (@stuben)
25th August 2022, 22:16
@icarby 40 is not a death sentence. Plenty of drivers over that age in many other categories plus many other sports. If still got the skills to pay the bills why the hell not, besides I can’t see Alonso in a boardroom ever so what else is there.
iCarbs (@icarby)
26th August 2022, 12:17
@stuben – hmm alright, plus seeing someone else destroy Stroll will be mildly entertaining but not really sport. We’ll see what happens.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
25th August 2022, 14:28
And I’m a Dutch man!
I’ll give him another 2 years before he decides they’re not progressing enough.
Win7Golf (@win7golf)
25th August 2022, 14:41
LOL
Until he signs for another team.
With the exception of Benetton, every team he goes, he left badly…
Good luck Aston Martin
He maybe a so so driver, but is a very bad team player, just ask all his previous team managers, with the execution of Flavio Briatore…
Bruno Verrari
25th August 2022, 15:06
Not for Lance, F3 Chanp!
Gusmaia
25th August 2022, 16:21
El Plan, part deux
Mike Davies (@nanotech)
25th August 2022, 20:11
/me bookmarks this article for late 2023 reading
Jay
25th August 2022, 20:56
With all the hate, I hope he does really well!
J Soulsby (@jmsoulsby)
25th August 2022, 21:22
I’m not reading any hate at all. We’re all just amused by the article, based on Alonso’s reputation and actions to date.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
26th August 2022, 4:22
I really rate Alonso highly, but the man changes directions just as fast outside of the cockpit as inside.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
25th August 2022, 21:23
Just like he saw out Alpine’s five-year plan…
I can’t take Alonso seriously any more, since he signed for Stroll & Son.
Depailler
25th August 2022, 21:53
Enough of this nonsense about alonso being a bridge burner.
– Mclaren happily re-signed alonso after spyware and a $100m fine.
– Renault re-signed him twice.
Which other driver has managed to be re-signed by two teams.
Alonso clearly loves driving in F1 and will be there as long as he is quick enough to get a seat.
Depailler
25th August 2022, 21:54
*Spygate …
StuBen (@stuben)
25th August 2022, 22:20
Unless things go horribly wrong I can see Alonso sticking around for quite a while longer yet. If not in next 2-3 years with Aston then he’ll be eying the new 26 regs for another reset and chance elsewhere.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
26th August 2022, 4:29
I reckon that Alonso will eventually have to take a bit off time off for corrective eye surgery, but he still just might become the first 50 year old F1 driver. :)
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th August 2022, 4:56
Think 50 is a bit overkill, in any case, while I’m one of those who believe in age related decline, following what I read on f1 metrics (slight drop off starting from 35, big drop off starting from 40), I have to admit alonso is still very good for his age and doesn’t seem to have lost that much, so I’m curious to see if he could become the most successful 40+ driver in recent times (can’t compare to the 1950s, where fangio was 47 I think, but many other drivers were relatively old too, so it was less of a liability to be in your 40s).