Fernando Alonso has seemingly formed an outstanding relationship with Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll despite the Canadian being his biggest rival. Since F1 is a sport where a driver’s teammate is usually their biggest rival, it seems surprising to see the camaraderie between Alonso and Stroll. However, an F1 expert believes this has only been possible because of the $10,000,000 contract the Spaniard signed with Lance’s father, Lawrence Stroll.
The strong bond between Alonso and Lance was witnessed in Austria when the 41-year-old remained calm despite having been beaten by his younger teammate. Alonso qualified in seventh, while Lance qualified just ahead of him in sixth.
Even though Alonso would have most often been furious to finish behind his teammate previously, it seems that he now finds himself at a different point in his career. This is presumably because, after several years of finding himself in teams that have struggled to even finish in the points, Alonso finally seems happy to be at a side where he has fought for podiums on most occasions this season.
And according to F1 expert Joe Saward, there is a good reason for the Spaniard’s happiness. Saward explained that while Alonso’s calmness even surprised him, he believes that the 41-year-old is behaving to stay in the good books of Lawrence, who pays his salary.
Saward explains why Alonso is often too kind to Lance
Following the Austrian Grand Prix, Joe Saward wrote an article for Grand Prix Plus Magazine, explaining Fernando Alonso’s surprising change in behavior. Saward began his point by quoting the Spaniard after he finished behind Lance Stroll during the Austrian GP qualifying session.
Following the qualifying session, the 41-year-old explained how he had felt “good” despite registering a slower lap time than his Canadian teammate. Soon after Saward quoted Alonso, he also presented a plausible reason for the Spaniard’s newfound calmness.
“Alonso would not usually be happy behind his teammate, but he knows these days that things are better if he’s nice about his boss’ son,” explained Saward. And this does not seem surprising, considering Alonso’s lucrative deal with Aston Martin. The Spaniard signed a two-year deal with the team last season, where he would earn a whopping $10,000,000 over his two years with the team.
And with Lawrence paying Alonso such a hefty amount, the former McLaren driver may not want to get in the bad books of the Canadian billionaire. As for the camaraderie between Lance and Alonso, the Austrian GP was one of the many occasions that the two seemed to work together well.
Fernando Alonso has helped Lance Stroll multiple times this season
Earlier this season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso seemed to mentor Lance Stroll as he advised about his car’s brake balance during the race. The Spaniard did so as the 24-year-old was seemingly struggling during the race.
While Alonso’s advice may not have helped Stroll on that occasion, it shows the keenness that the 41-year-old had to help his teammate. Alonso also showcased a similar act of kindness during the Spanish Grand Prix, where he told his Aston Martin team that he would not challenge Stroll for sixth place in the race.
NEWS: @AstonMartinF1 announces Fernando Alonso for 2023.
We are delighted to confirm that two-time #F1 World Champion @alo_oficial will join the team from next season on a multi-year contract.
Tap below to read more. ⬇️#WeClimbTogether
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) August 1, 2022
That was one of the very few occasions that the Canadian has managed to beat his double-world-champion teammate this season, either during qualifying or the race. With Stroll underperforming massively compared to Alonso, the pressure is on him to close the gap.
However, the races seem to suggest that the 24-year-old is still not at the level of Alonso and may need more time to mount a reasonable challenge. Since Aston Martin is not currently fighting for the championship, fans can expect Alonso and Stroll to share more moments such as these.
