The signing of Alonso by Aston Martin was the great informative bomb of the F1 break that ends this weekend with the dispute of the Belgian GP. The Asturian seemed ready to renew with Alpine, but will change colors and run in green for at least the next two years.
In a move that caught everyone by surprise, many doubts arose. And now, from Aston Martin itself, they explain how the surprising signing of the two-time world champion was.
Team manager Mike Krack detailed how the events unfolded before and after the Hungarian GP that ended the first part of the season, and how everything accelerated after Vettel announced his retirement.
“We always focus on Sebastian,” admits Krack. “But we pushed for an answer before the summer break, because the longer those discussions go on, the more problems you have.”
“The ball really started to roll on the Wednesday afternoon before the Hungarian Grand Prix when Sebastian confirmed his plans and told us he wanted to retire. We formally communicated with Fernando the next day and a few days later the deal was done.” .
And how was Fernando Alonso convinced not to renew with Alpine and sign for Aston Martin? At the end of the day, Alpine is in fourth position in the constructors’ championship and Aston Martin is only ahead of Williams. However, Krack believes that the British team has everything the Spaniard was looking for in his next stage in Formula 1, starting in 2023, which will be his 20th season in the premier class.
“Fernando is a machine, a racing machine. He is completely focused on racing,” explains Krack. “He is determined to perform and compete at the highest level and sees Aston Martin as a team that will allow him to do so.”
“Fernando looks at the potential of the team – the new facilities we are building, the people we are hiring, the investment that is being made, the steps that the Aston Martin brand is taking – and he sees it as an opportunity. Aston Martin is the best opportunity for him to achieve his ambitions.
Although much has been said and written about a high salary at billionaire Lawrence Stroll ‘s team, Krack argues that neither the money nor the promise of No. 1 driver status made Alonso decide to take the plunge.
“Fernando and Lance will have the same status, Fernando did not ask for any of that. There has been talk in the media that we have offered him things like being the number one driver and a great salary, but I can assure you that Fernando has not signed even for the status or salary.
“Of course, it all has to be befitting a driver of Fernando’s caliber and experience, but the speed with which the deal was reached shows that things like salary or details of the deal were not Fernando’s main motivations.”
And he recalled some words from Alonso the week before: “He himself said it before the break: ‘when both parties want to agree on something, it only takes 10 minutes’. What convinced Fernando is the opportunity to be part of a team that is progressing and where he can make a real impact.
(Look at all the cars of Fernando Alonso in Formula 1 before continuing reading)
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Alonso will have as a partner the son of the owner of his new team, a less talented driver who, however, at Aston Martin they defend tooth and nail: “People underestimate how good Lance is: they think he is only here because his father is team owner and put him in the car.
“But you don’t do as well as him against a four-time world champion [Sebastian Vettel] by accident, and you don’t win as many junior championships as he does by accident either.
If Aston Martin pulls off a winning car, Krack explains, Stroll will show what he can do: “It’s important to remember that Lance has never really had a winning car in Formula 1, a car where he can show what he’s capable of, get really his talent. It’s up to us to give that to him and to Fernando.”
“When Sebastian joined the team, people were saying that Lance had no chance, but Lance has performed incredibly well, they have been very evenly matched. People are saying the same thing now that Fernando comes to the team, but let’s wait and see. Lance could surprise to some people…”.
