Fernando Alonso talks about switching to Aston Martin and if it will be his last chance to win the F1 championship and more.
Having had a slightly more competitive run with Alpine last year, Alonso decided to move to Aston Martin who did not have the car to match his former F1 team in 2022. The move did surprise many considering the lack of pace shown by the Silverstone team.
They also had Sebastian Vettel leaving despite some solid performances from the German. But Alonso seems to have the faith in Aston Martin and the investments they are bringing in especially with the new infrastructure which has impressed the Spaniard.
Having had a test run in Abu Dhabi, Alonso had another go at Jerez – both of which mostly to test the Pirelli tyres but he still got the feel of the new car and mostly the button positioning, seat positioning which is very important when switching to a new team.
With his age catching up, Alonso doesn’t have much time to take a team to the title after effort of several seasons. The Spaniard knows the reality and is taking it one thing at a time. He won’t be too disappointed if the team wins post him leaving too.
Joining Aston Martin from Alpine despite latter being competitive –
Alonso: “Aston Martin F1 is taking the necessary steps to win in the near future. The team is determined to become a championship contender and will do whatever it takes to get there. This ambition is appealing to any racing driver. You see all the investment, the new factory, the talent joining the team, and you want to be part of it. And then there is the name, Aston Martin. It is, and always will be, an iconic brand in motorsport and the automotive industry.
“To write the next chapter in the brand’s history and become part of the Aston Martin family makes me very proud. This is a very special opportunity for me with this team at this moment in my career. I’ve been preparing physically and mentally for this challenge, and I see this project as a winning one. It’s a matter of time until Aston Martin is winning races and championships. Making that time as short as possible, this is my biggest challenge – but I’m ready for it.”
Requirements for team to win the championship –
Alonso: “We have to use our ingenuity and be creative in everything we do. You have to reinvent yourself every season, every race, to try to outperform your competitors – this is the biggest challenge for any F1 team. It starts with an idea. But when will it be possible? What do you need to do to make it possible?
“This is what you have to keep asking yourself. This is what you have to keep working towards. We have the talent in this team. When we go racing, we need to execute every race to perfection – to maximise the results from the ingenuity that has gone into the car.”
Last chance to win title or how long to wait –
Alonso: “I’m not thinking about timeframes and how long it will take the team to win races. I will take it race by race, season by season. What’s important is that we keep making progress. We need to feel happy with each other and help each other: Aston Martin helping me to achieve the results and the targets that I have and me helping the team to progress every race, every year, to get closer and closer to the top positions.
“I will use all my experience and all my knowledge to help the team shortcut the time that is needed to become World Champions. Will I be behind the steering wheel when that time comes? Nobody knows. It’s impossible to predict. But what is certain is that I will try my best.”
If team wins after he departs –
Alonso: “I will still be very proud if the team wins without me in the car. I will be very proud of the process and my contribution to the project. In Lance, the team has a driver who is super young, super talented and has the possibility to be World Champion. To see him achieve that and have played a part in that, whether that’s behind the wheel or not, will be special for me.”
Readiness for 2023 –
Alonso: “I’ve been training since December. This pre-season has been a lot smoother than the last couple of years. I had the bike accident in 2021 and the following winter some of the plates that were used to reconstruct my jaw needed to be removed. Finally, this winter, I could focus as much time as I wanted on training. I’m in better shape than the last few seasons. It’s hugely important, especially with a new team.
“Everything changes when you join a new team: the seat fit; the different procedures on the steering wheel – the different buttons and the lights; the procedures for the pit-stops. There are certain things that are unique to each team. Learning these things takes time so you want everything else to be as straightforward as possible. These changes sound very simple, but these new procedures must become automatic. You cannot think about these details when you’re racing, you have to be 100 per cent focused on driving.”
Here’s Eric Blandin on immediate feedback from Fernando Alonso
Here’s Tom McCullough on Nico Hulkenberg
Here’s Eric Blandin on different Aston Martin for 2023
Here’s Aston Martin on 2022 progress for 2023
Here’s Aston Martin sharing of Fernando Alonso with the team