Fernando Alonsotwo-time Formula 1 world champion, He will be a driver for the Aston Martin team from 2023 on a multi-year contract.. The announcement was made this Monday by the British team, in a statement in which it recognizes “the incredible experience” of the Spanish driver who currently racing in Alpine, as well as “his brilliant pace and running ability”. “This team is clearly applying the energy and commitment to win, and therefore is one of the most interesting in Formula 1 today,” Alonso said.
The Spaniard will occupy the seat that quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel will vacate at the end of the year, who announced that he will retire at the end of the current season. Aston Martin said Alonso’s arrival “is a clear statement of intent from an organization that is committed to developing a winning Formula 1 team.”
What Fernando Alonso said about his move to Aston Martin
Alonso was very optimistic about the future. “I have known Lawrence (Lawrence Stroll, CEO of Aston Martin) and Lance Stroll for many years and it is very obvious that they have the ambition and passion to succeed in Formula 1.”
“I have seen the team consistently attract great people with a winning tag, and I am aware of the huge commitment to the new facilities and resources at Silverstone as no one in Formula One today is showing greater vision and absolute commitment to victory. and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me.”
Alonso, who has just turned 41, also assured: “I continue to have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the forefront, and I want to be part of an organization that is committed to learning, development and success, although all we are aware that much remains to be done to get there and that we must apply all our energies in working together to find performance”. “I intend to win again in this sport and therefore I have to take the opportunities that seem right to me,” he added.
The word of Lawrence Stroll, boss of Aston Martin
Stroll, meanwhile, said he had admired Alonso “for many years” and that “I have always been clear that he is a committed winner like me”.
“I have made it my mission to bring together the best people and develop the right resources and organization to succeed in this highly competitive sport.and those plans are now taking shape at Silverstone, so it seemed natural to invite Fernando to be part of developing a winning team, and in our recent conversations we quickly established that we have the same ambitions and values, and it was logical and easy to confirm our desire to work together,” said Stroll.
Alpine’s reaction to Alonso leaving the team
“We wish Fernando the best for his future in Formula 1. Fernando has always been and always will be part of the Renault family and Alpine. We are very proud and we feel privileged to have shared so many moments together on the trackAlpine wrote.
Alonso will thus close his third stage in the French team -ex-Renault and now Alpine- with which he won the titles in 2005 and 2006, ran in 2008 and 2009 and to which he returned in 2021 for his return to F1 after two seasons absent from the competition.
“We want to finish the rest of the 2022 season well with Fernando dressed in blue and we are going to give it our all together until the last lap in November. The team will announce its driver duo for next year soon“The team continued on its official Twitter account.
Everything indicates that the new couple will be formed by the Frenchman Esteban Ocon -with a contract until 2024- and the Australian Oscar Piastri, driver of the Alpine school and champion of Formula Two in 2021 and Formula Three in 2020 and that this season he was left without a seat in F1.