Fernando Alonso will switch to Aston Martin from Alpine in a multi-year deal from 2023 F1 season, replacing Sebastian Vettel.
After Vettel surprised everyone with his retirement news during Hungarian GP weekend, Aston Martin upped the shock by announcing Alonso as his replacement post the grand prix weekend in a new multi-year deal starting from 2023 season.
With the contract for Alonso with Alpine ending at the end of 2022, all the signs were going towards the two remaining together for the immediate future as the team tried to loan Oscar Piastri to some other F1 team to give him proper race time.
Until recently Laurent Rossi also popped up the idea for Alonso to compete in other championships for Alpine/Renault. But this surprise news of the Spaniard switching to Aston Martin has certainly ended those chances for the foreseeable future.
Considering that Aston Martin is still behind Alpine, it is an interesting move from Alonso which more looks sideways for the moment. But having been with the French outfit for long, the Spaniard seemingly thinks that it may not take the next desired step.
“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. “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 One.
“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. No one in Formula One today is demonstrating a greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me.
“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. 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,” summed up Alonso.
At the same time, team boss Lawrence Stroll stated: “I have 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. 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.”
And finally, Mike Krack added: “I have witnessed the excitement in the engineering team and throughout the whole organisation at the opportunity to work with Fernando. We know that nearly everyone can learn from someone of Fernando’s calibre and experience. We are confident that he will inspire everyone to lift their game, and that will only enhance the already infectious energy that exists within the team. We are on a journey to create a winning organisation, and it is clear that Fernando will accelerate our progress and bring us to a performance in which we can take pride.
“We are delighted to have Fernando and Lance as our driver line-up next year – the combination of experience and youth will be incredibly strong and both drivers look forward to competing and working together. The team has a new leadership focused on the development of AMR23, and we are all thrilled that they and our future projects will benefit from the knowledge and experience that Fernando will bring.”
UPDATE: Alpine released a small statement regarding the departure of Alonso at the end of the 2022 season, with the team thanking the Spaniard for all his services as it looks forward to close the chapter on a high.
“We wish Fernando the best for his future in Formula 1,” it reads. “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.
“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. The team will announce its driver line-up for the 2023 Formula 1 season in due course.”
Here’s Sebastian Vettel on why he decided and when he decided
Here’s what F1 drivers said about Sebastian Vettel
Here’s news from Sebastian Vettel about his F1 retirement
Here’s Laurent Rossi on Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri
