$15 Million Fernando Alonso hiring was hidden from Aston Martin boss, claims F1 journalist

2-time world champion Fernando Alonso rocked the world of F1 when his sudden move to Aston Martin was announced on the first day of the 2022 silly season.

But there was a lot happening behind the scenes that even the Silverstone-based team’s boss Mike Krack was unaware of, claims Lewis Webster, in his column in Business F1.

Webster said that Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll had refused to renew Sebastian Vettel’s contract with the team. Therefore, the German was left with the only option to retire at the end of the 2022 season.

Team principal Krack, meanwhile, was oblivious to the reality and hence described Vettel’s departure as a setback for the team. The Luxembourgish was completely unaware of what was coming next.

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Mike Krack was shocked with Fernando Alonso joining

Webster claims that Krack’s only source of information about how his team operates comes from the team’s PR manager Matt Bishop and therefore he believes every word Bishop writes.

So on the next day, when the press release of Alonso joining the team as Vettel’s replacement was issued by Bishop, Krack was left shocked.

The 50-year-old realised that the things he had said about Vettel leaving were all ‘rubbish’ and he had been completely kept in the dark despite him being the team principal.

Welcome, @alo_oficial. 🤝

2023 starts here. pic.twitter.com/1ajM3tGE5J

— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) January 1, 2023

Aston Martin is under pressure to deliver a competitive car to Alonso

In the 2022 season, Aston Martin could only place itself P7 in the constructors’ championship. But going ahead the team hopes to make a statement in the 2023 season. The Silverstone-based team has even invested $240 Million in their factory.

On top of that, they have signed Alonso on a $15 Million per year deal hoping to climb the ladder to the top of the grid.

While it will take some time for the team to become one of the front runners, their new 41-year-old signing would be expecting results.

The Spaniard is known for being extremely demanding from his cars therefore, Krack believes that they should be prepared for every question and idea that Alonso is going to bring to the table.

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