Fernando Alonso & Co. Take Advantage of Groundwork Laid Down by Alpine by Last Minute Poaching

We’ve all heard Fernando Alonso talking about the hard work that Aston Martin has done to reach the podium multiple times this year. F1 isn’t just about what happens on track, but also off track back at the factory. In a recent revelation, it was advised how Aston Martin made last-minute poaching to take advantage of the groundwork laid down by Alpine. But what was this poaching?

An F1 car is almost like an extension of the driver. The car and the driver become one on the track. It’s not just about upgrading the car but upgrading it according to what a driver asks for. Hence, highly experienced drivers who have a good feel for the car are valued by teams. Fernando Alonso is one of those drivers, who can feel every little detail about what the car is doing, and therefore has superior car control.

Tom McCullough, the performance director at Aston Martin revealed how they noticed what Alonso had been doing for Alpine over his 2 year stint and decided to move in to make a move for the Spaniard. Every F1 fan was shocked when Alonso announced his move to Aston Martin including the Alpine team themselves. Alonso was labeled as a sensor as his feedback from him helped correlate the data and develop the car further. 

According to @FormulaDirecta’s tweet, the Spanish version of Motorsport quoted McCullough as saying, “We looked at what he did in Alpine and over the years in the paddock. We’ve listened to his talks about him on the radio and they are at a high level, with some impressive riding performances, plus working With him you see how motivated he is, with all the hard work [he does], all his preparation, his questions.” [Translated via Google]

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However, was Aston Martin always what Fernando Alonso wanted? Or was Alpine the reason why Alonso decided to make the move? Fernando Alonso recently revealed the reason why he left the French team.

Fernando Alonso reveals the reason why he left Alpine

Fernando Alonso revealed how he was ready to sign a new contract with Alpine and had even asked the team to draft it as per the discussions that started as early as the start of the 2022 season. However, Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement and Aston Martin saw the opportunity to sign Alonso. Not having any draft ready from Alpine’s side along with the slow pace of contract negotiations was the deal breaker for Alonso.

According to the F1: Checkered Flag podcast, Fernando Alonso, as he revealed the reason to leave Alpine said, “It [the new contract] was just a very slow pace. It was not from my side. I was just ready and I was just happy. And the 2022 car, it was a fast car. I was happy with the performance and possibilities into the future. So, the slow conversations and eventually not even putting on paper what we were writing.”

What do you think about Fernando Alonso’s decision to join Aston Martin? Did he get lucky or did he actually see potential in the team?

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