Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement last week ahead of the Hungarian GP, which caused quite the stir in the F1 world. Additionally, it saw the transfer department spring into action, with Aston Martin announcing Fernando Alonso as his replacement earlier today.
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Since most people expected the Spaniard to extend his stay at Alpine, this switch comes as a surprise. However, the rapid announcement means that the negotiations with Alonso have been ongoing for some time now. This is also the reason Aston Martin pressed Vettel to take a call on his future before the summer break.
Aston Martin team owner, Lawrence Stroll, also met with Alonso at the Aston Martin motorhome on Sunday. This move will be Alonso’s 6th team in the sport as he enters his 20th season in F1 as 2023 approaches.
Fernando Alonso spills the beans on shocking Aston Martin move
The Spaniard has been announced as the replacement for Sebastian Vettel after the German announced his retirement from the sport. This might come as a shock to many, who expected Alonso to continue his stint with Alpine. However, indications are that this was a pre-planned move and not a rash signing.
Alonso himself has gone to give his take on the switch. He said, “I’ve followed closely how the team was able to systematically hire great people who already know how to win,” speaking about the teams recent hires of engineers from Mercedes and Red Bull. [translated using Google]
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He further added, “And I am I am aware of the commitment that is being put into building the new factory at Silverstone. Nobody in Formula 1 has a greater vision and a greater desire to win. That makes it an exciting task.”
Alonso also went on to add, “This Aston Martin team uses a lot of energy and commitment to celebrate victories. It is therefore currently one of the most exciting teams in Formula 1.”
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This Fernando Alonso switch also means that now Alpine junior Oscar Piastri has a chance to make a full-time step to F1, after being the Alpine reserve driver for a season. It will be interesting to see how this move pans out for the Spaniard. Additionally, the transfer carousel is up and running and we might potentially see some interesting moves ahead.