SportF1Alpine hoped to renew Fernando Alonso in F1

Alpine hoped to renew Fernando Alonso in F1

After many rumors about his continuity in Alpine, it all seemed that it was going to end very soon, after the summer holidays of the 2022 Formula 1 season, when the paddock traveled to play the Belgian Grand Prix , as Otmar assured. Szafnauer before knowing the signing of the Spaniard by Aston Martin.

Fernando Alonso was not assured of his presence in the next campaign of the highest category of motorsports, with several reports suggesting that he could leave the Enstone team to make room for Oscar Piastri , one of the protégés of the French team. However, after the race in Hungary, the boss of the Gallic team, Otmar Szafnauer , said that the agreement would be made official at the following appointment, showing that, obviously, he did not have all the information.

When the American was asked if Spa-Francorchamps would be the stage where we would learn the outcome of the negotiations between the two-time world champion and Alpine, he replied: “Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.”

“Well, we… We keep talking to him, we are very close to doing it, but I think Fernando [Alonso] is right, in Spa we will all know,” continued the team manager, who agreed on the Asturian’s need. to take the signing of the contract in stride. “It’s fair. I think everyone does it.”

The Spaniard assured before the Hungarian Grand Prix that he only needed ten minutes to reach an agreement with Alpine for next season, something that Szafnauer reaffirmed: “He is absolutely right, it will all be very simple.”

“Of course,” he said when asked if he really expected Fernando Alonso to be renewed, before revealing why the announcement was delayed so much and if there was anything else about it, such as the length of the contract. “No, not really, I think we’ve been through all that, it’s just a matter of time, it’s details, little things.”

The two-time world champion decided this Monday to announce his departure from Alpine to bet on another project, such as Aston Martin, about which they had heard some rumors for weeks, even more so when Sebastian Vettel’s withdrawal became known, although Szafnauer did not want to talk much about it.

“We like [Alonso]. We like him a lot because he’s driving, and he says he likes us. It’s the first time I’ve worked with him, and yes, he’s absolutely brilliant, he’s performing at a high level,” he said shortly before praising more to his pilot when he was told if he was meeting expectations. “ Yes. At least from my eyes. I’ve never worked with him before, but yeah, he’s absolutely brilliant.”

One of the factors that is talked about, could have caused the renewal not to materialize, is money , something that the Alpine boss takes for granted in all the negotiations: “Not only with Fernando. Every pilot with whom I have negotiated, has It was a matter of money.”

“And other things too, but for whatever reason, they want the most money, and we want to pay the least,” he explained. “So we end up in a kind of place where no one is happy, or an ideal scenario where everyone is willing to sign.”

Before saying goodbye to enjoy the holidays, Szafnauer wanted to compare the Spaniard with another driver he knows very well: “He is very similar to Seb [Vettel] in his desire to win, and leaves no stone unturned in every little detail.”

“Seb is very similar in that sense, the difference with him is that, at 41 years old, he wants to continue pushing and driving, which is also great. So, if you have that mentality that I want to continue doing this at the highest level, then perfect”, concluded the American.

     

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