Aston Martin are keen to extend Fernando Alonso’s contract to drive for the team beyond the end of next season.
Alonso joined the team at the beginning of this year and immediately enjoyed success in their much-improved car, achieving six podium finishes in the first eight races.The team faced stronger competition from its rivals over the following races. Nonetheless Alonso has taken two more pole positions, while his team mate Lance Stroll still has none. Alonso has also scored 200 of the team’s 273 points.
Team principal Mike Krack is therefore keen to extend his stay at the team into the 2025 season, when the two-times world champion will turn 44.
“I think I don’t have to answer that question,” said Krack when asked whether he wants to keep Alonso in the team. “Absolutely, yes.”
Aston Martin caused a stir last year when they pounced on the opportunity to sign Alonso when his former team Alpine hesitated over extending his contract. Krack said he had “no concern” about offering a new deal to the oldest driver on the grid.
Krack said there’s been “only positives” from Alonso’s arrival at the team. “We were blown away from the first day until today actually,” he explained.
“To be honest with you, I always thought it was a bit of a honeymoon, the months in the beginning. But I’m quite happy that we have managed to extend the honeymoon a bit longer.
“I think we have received a remarkable team player, constructive at all times, especially when it was difficult.”
He said both drivers’ reactions to their poor weekend in Mexico showed their qualities as team players.
“When the car was competitive, or more competitive, it’s obviously easier to be constructive, but the true qualities came – let’s take Mexico [as an] example. For both drivers, it would have been easy to take the microphones and slam the team or go against the team and it would also have probably been deserved.
“But I think the true qualities of the team-playing character of both drivers came out in that time. And for me that is one of the highlights of the season as a team that we managed to stick together in that time.”
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Todfod (@todfod)
24th November 2023, 12:40
I don’t think Alonso should sign with them beyond next season. I don’t see Aston ever becoming a title challenging outfit as long as Papa Stroll and baby Stroll are at the helm. They might give Alonso a win or two (if lucky), but they will never be title contenders.
I don’t see Alonso sticking around beyond 2024 unless he believes he’s got a real title shot, and if he’s got any shot (however slim) of getting one last season with either Ferrari, Red Bull or Mercedes, it would probably at the end of 2024. The last thing he’ll want is to be locked in to a contract with Aston.
Ads21 (@ads21)
24th November 2023, 13:26
I’m not sure there’s any more realistic options for Alonso at this stage of his career. There could be an opening at Merc if Hamilton retired, but Mercedes seem to still hold a grudge against Alonso over the 2007 fine. Maybe if Red Bull continue to dominate and Perez continues to underperform Liberty might pressurise them into putting Alonso alongside Verstappen for a one-year deal before the new regs to spice things up. Maybe Ferrari if Sainz were poached by Audi, perhaps he could return for a final swansong in red. McLaren have an incredible line-up that is both highly talented and very young, so it’s hard to see an opening there.
But none of these alternatives with teams likely to be more competitive than Aston actually seem very plausible. And given Aston will be a works team from 2026 onwards and their recent trajectory they seem like as good a bet as anyone if Alonso wants to keep extending his career. Whilst for Aston is there actually going to be a better driver on the grid available than Alonso? Extending the deal just seems logical for both parties.
Facts&Stats
24th November 2023, 13:45
That was McLaren, and they have since rehired him.
someone or something
24th November 2023, 16:41
He’s not wrong, though. For whatever reason, Toto Wolff has made statements that lend themselves to the interpretation that he considers himself the spiritual heir of this grudge.
melanos
24th November 2023, 20:59
Which says next to nothing about Fernando but a lot about Torger C. Wolff
Nick T.
24th November 2023, 22:13
Toto makes Christian Horner seem like Alex Albon. I can’t remember a more universally disliked TP.
Jazz (@jazz)
24th November 2023, 13:03
Alonso has taken two pole positions? This is news to me!!
Craig S
24th November 2023, 13:23
Yup, they dun goofed! Last time Alonso was on pole was Germany 2012.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
24th November 2023, 13:48
Ahah, indeed, though it’d have been nice to get a pole after 11 years, with monaco certainly the best chance for that.
Nick T.
24th November 2023, 22:21
Would’ve been simplest for them to just say six podiums in the first seven races and eight or nine overall to date. Just a couple races ago I remember Alonso has more Q3 entrances send Checo and Stroll combined and I think podiums to for that matter and obviously Stroll wouldn’t be helping Checo in that count. He also went the furthest into the season without failing to reach Q3 on the grid.
So while, he’s not as fast as he was at 35 or 25, he’s still more than fast enough to win a title in a true title caliber car. I have a feeling he’s gonna be disgusted though with the 2026 generation cars if he drives them. After all, he won his titles in what many agree were the most nimble and exciting cars of the post-70s F1 era. More importantly, extremely light and much smaller, but with just as much power.
Moshambles (@moshambles)
24th November 2023, 13:18
*podium
Leo Stroll
24th November 2023, 14:55
The year is 2048, and Fernando is paired up with Leonardo Stroll (Lance’s son) in his quest for his third world title. We wish him luck.
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
25th November 2023, 9:12
This Leonardo grandson of Lawrence Sheldon Strulović you speak of, shows immense potential.
I genuinely fear for Fred’s #3.
But fantastic news that all motorsports weren’t banned 20 years prior.
Zann (@zann)
24th November 2023, 15:05
lol, this is specially for Lance. Everybody thinks Fernando can defy age and be great at 45 but it’s science that his reactions are getting slower, and in driving timing is everything. So Lance looks like he’s not that bad, against the great 2x wdc :)
someone or something
24th November 2023, 16:53
Yeah, that’s the kind of comment that makes sense if you look at basically anything from this season, with your eyes firmly closed.
To anyone watching even from the corner of their eye, it was hard not to feel second-hand embarrassment for how bad Alonso made Stroll look.
Zann (@zann)
24th November 2023, 17:09
well at the risk of stating the obvious, it does depend how say Lando would’ve made Lance look, which we do not know. Plus, more of that risk, I was talking science not watching the tv and going ‘omg Fernando is so faster than him’, as it has been measured and then given that Fernando would have been fractionally more precise at 25 than 45, he is a bit slower now than 2 decades ago.
Of course maturity has benefits like being a team player, so it’s win-win as long as ultimate performance isn’t the priority
dan
24th November 2023, 19:08
@zann Enough of the what ifs, it proves Vettel has the most inflated stats in f1 history. ALO>>>>Rai. Alo>>>>>>>>>>>>>stroll. Vettel>>>Rai. Vet>Stroll. Most inflated f1 stats in history a damn sham the 2010 2013 era was
Nick T.
24th November 2023, 22:11
Alonso drives no differently today in terms of Ontrack judgment than he did during his days at Ferrari or McLaren or Renault. The only difference is that he is taking the opportunity to be happier and enjoy F1 more. He said during his first stent that he thought if you smiles or enjoyed yourself you weren’t doing your job properly and he realized that that wasn’t the truth. That’s why he seems so much happier now.
AlanD
24th November 2023, 20:16
Zann, I think another change with age is improved judgement. As drivers mature, they tend to be less hot-headed, better at staying out of first corner collisions, etc. We’ve seen that with Hamilton, now we are seeing it with Verstappen. I think one of the remarkable things about Alonso is that he never seemed to get into those scrapes early in his career. There are no stats for that though, so it is just a feeling.
Zann (@zann)
24th November 2023, 20:31
yes true, they’re fastest when they’re young then best when they’re a bit wiser, but in the end the maturity benefits start to plateau don’t they and the physical degradation kicks in more and more. And generally in most sports the overall slope is downwards by the late 30’s and that’s why they mostly retire by then.
So for Aston, Fernando definitely has been great for them. Up to now. But another two years, he’s not the performance option, being realistic. I mean if they had Oscar then Fernando to mentor him could make sense, but Lance, he’d be there to flatter him.
But let’s see, what actually happens, that could be different from the sweet words
Nick T.
26th November 2023, 3:59
Don’t kid yourself, he’ll peak at 60.
Why the hell is there no reply button to your comments?
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
24th November 2023, 19:57
But when will he achieve the Triple Crown (and come second at it)?
Shimks (@shimks)
25th November 2023, 8:25
Soon, my dear @bullfrog. Sooon.
Nick T.
25th November 2023, 16:14
All he needs is the Indy 500 and that is a race that is friendly to older drivers. Since he qualified 2nd on his first try and was competing for the win until he has mechanical issue on his first try, I don’t see it being a huge hurtle.