Pedro de la Rosa is currently the brand ambassador of Aston Martin, but he is ready to move out of his prestigious position if Fernando Alonso wishes to replace him someday in the future. Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, De la Rosa himself confirmed the same and revealed that it will not be much of “a problem” for him to walk out for Alonso.
“[After the recent contract extension] Fernando will retire in Aston Martin, and then it means that Pedro will be out, you know,” De la Rosa explained while having a laugh. “Fernando is in, Pedro will be out, that’s also good news, I mean for people or the team.”
While De la Rosa joked about this rather painfully, Damon Hill, the co-host of the podcast, quipped that Alonso‘s arrival in the brand ambassador role will send the 53-year-old back to ‘making tea.’ The former McLaren driver is ‘cool’ with that, and said that he will have no difficulty in doing so for the team.
BREAKING: Fernando Alonso re-signs at Aston Martin
The two-time World Champion has signed a deal to remain at the Silverstone-based outfit ✍️#F1 pic.twitter.com/XNnw6Smnbu
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 11, 2024
Coming back to Alonso, he extended his contract with Aston Martin for two years. This means that he will now remain at Silverstone at least until the end of 2026.
Since Alonso is already 42, he perhaps has high hopes that Aston Martin can provide him with a car that is capable of fighting for the championship in the future. Or else, he most likely would not have signed the extension. His best chance of fighting for the title may come in 2026, the year that F1 introduces new regulations.
Fernando Alonso’s latest extension put an end to all rumors about his future
Since Aston Martin have been undergoing a slump since midseason last year, several experts claimed that Fernando Alonso will most likely consider switching teams for 2025 and beyond. However, he put all rumors to rest after showcasing his faith in Aston Martin and extending his contract with them.
Earlier, reports linked Alonso as a possible candidate for Mercedes. Since the Spaniard has over two decades of competing in F1 and has won two titles, many experts believed that he is the ideal replacement for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who will leave Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025.
Belief. pic.twitter.com/CR9doU2JTN
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) April 11, 2024
Other than the Silver Arrows, reports also linked Alonso with Red Bull as a potential replacement for Sergio Perez. Since the Mexican is into the last year of his contract with Red Bull, several experts believe that the Milton Keynes-based outfit can sack the 34-year-old if he begins to underperform as he did last year.