Fernando Alonso has managed to put together some extraordinary performances following his move to Aston Martin. After the incredible P3 in Brazil, as per a recent report by GQ Magazine, Alonso reminisced about the chat that he had with Lawrence Stroll before joining the team.
Alonso said, “I spoke with Lawrence [Stroll] about the possibility of joining the team after Sebastian Vettel’s [retirement] announcement, and he was very convincing in selling the project and all the new people that were joining.”
💥🗣️| Fernando Alonso to GQ Magazine:
“I feel fresh, I feel fast and I’m enjoying the journey with Aston Martin. I feel motivated… it’s not time to retire yet.” pic.twitter.com/bSFHmb5GJX
— Aston Martin Formula 1 News (@AMF1News) November 8, 2023
The Spaniard then explained that he indeed saw that various big names were joining the design team. Aston Martin were also building a brand new factory and Alonso could see the amount of effort Stroll was putting in to make sure that the British brand made good progress up the field.
“Facts were supporting Lawrence’s words. I thought it was a logical move for me if I wanted to aim for something higher than my previous team. It didn’t take long for us to join forces,” said Alonso.
All of the big-name signings and new staff made a huge impact as Aston Martin came out all guns blazing at the start of the 2023 season. With six podium finishes in the first eight race weekends, Alonso had re-ignited the hope of finally getting his 33rd race win.
Fernando Alonso has pledged his future to Aston Martin
However, the fairytale did not last long for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin as the Silverstone-based team began losing performance midway through the season. As a result, teams like McLaren and Mercedes managed to overtake them with fast upgrades and developments.
After witnessing a fall from grace, Aston Martin admitted that they chose the wrong development path which made all the difference. Their upgrades made the car even more difficult to drive, and the FIA’s ban on the flexi-wings did not help the team much either.
This downfall in performance led to immense speculation regarding Alonso’s future at the team. However, as per F1 journalist Ted Kravitz, the two-time World Champion is completely devoted to Aston Martin and their long-term plans. However, one speculation that hasn’t died down yet is Aston Martin’s takeover by Geely following a $310,000,000 sale of the team’s shares by Lawrence Stroll.
