Fernando Alonso Terms Deserting Alpine F1 as “Personal” For One Vital Reason: “When I Signed With Aston…”

One of the highlights of 2021 was arguably Fernando Alonso‘s comeback to the sport. Back then, the Spaniard chose to make his return with the rebranded Renault that manufactured both of Alonso’s championship-winning vehicles. The 41-year-old had hoped for magic, but it never occurred, forcing him to look for better opportunities. Yet, many experts and analysts made fun of the Spaniard’s decision to join a team like Aston Martin, who finished their 2022 season much below the Enstone outfit last year. And now the 41-year-old has given a “personal” explanation for leaving Alpine.

Alonso has been an adventurous character for his whole 20-year career; the 41-year-old has surprised many fans with his bizarre team switches. Odds, though, were in the former Alpine driver’s favor as his confidence in the Aston Martin has shown to be well-placed. The Silverstone-based team’s 2023 season has begun in a unique manner. The squad that struggled for years has had some success building a quick vehicle. Alonso has also had a tremendous debut, as it took him just two races to double his podium total from his time with the French squad.

Yet, many of us wondered why Alonso made the decision to switch from a midfield team to an upcoming squad. The Spaniard has now clarified this for us. During the book presentation for Nira Luanco’s “El Gran Circo de la Formula 1,” Alonso stated, “It was like a personal thing, if I didn’t continue at Alpine, the best version of me was going to be seen in these 20 years in F1.”

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton & Fernando Alonso’s Fate Swapped as Tables Turn for Both F1 Rivals at Their Career Twilight

The season is really looking well for Fernando Alonso after two straight podium finishes for Aston Martin. However, he is still stuck at 32 career wins and to accomplish his “Mission 33”, the Spaniard claims he might be needing “help” from rivals Red Bull.

Fernando Alonso is confident in the future of Aston Martin, provided Red Bull’s support

Alonso’s decision to switch to Aston Martin may have raised some eyebrows, but after his two consecutive podium finishes, those concerns may have vanished. The Spaniard, who came in third in Bahrain and trailed winner Max Verstappen by 38 seconds, has closed that margin to 20 seconds at the Jeddah track.

It is believed that the driver, whose last claimed victory came at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, is on the verge of another triumph. But, in order for that to occur, Red Bull must commit a mistake. As quoted by the Race, Alonso said, “We need some help from them. But it will happen eventually, when they cannot always finish first and second. One day it’ll be a [botched] pit stop. One day it’s a gearbox.”

He added, “Max had Saturday [a failure]  if he’d had it Sunday, he’d have had to retire the car. So there’s going to be some circuits where maybe reliability or whatever could help us and hopefully in those races we take the opportunity.”

WATCH THIS STORY:  Oldest Formula 1 driver on the 2022 Grid

Although Alonso’s risk has largely paid off and he now has a car to contend against the ferocious Red Bull. Having said that, do you think Alonso will be able to accomplish his mission 33 at the Melbourne track?