Fernando Alonso Diaz—the ex-Formula 1 World Champion—returned to the F1 racetracks with Alpine back in 2021, following a two-year gap from the sport. After a two-year spell with Alpine, Alonso signed for Aston Martin on a two-year deal—which is set to expire this season.
With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, Aston Martin boss Mike Krack has recently discussed Fernando Alonso’s future with the team.
Aston Martin Principal discusses Fernando Alonso future
In a recent interview with Motorsports, Mike Krack, who is the Team Principal of the Aston Martin F1 team, has addressed the issues surrounding Fernando Alonso’s future with the team, and revealed that they [Aston Martin] want to continue working with the Spaniard.
Talking about his #1 driver, Krack admitted that for now, the team is letting Alonso decide for himself. He quoted this, by saying, “It’s not a secret that he first of all wants to decide for himself what he wants to do.”
“[And] I think it’s also not a secret that I keep saying that we want to continue working with Fernando,” he added, pointing out the team’s intention.
Fernando Alonso, driving the Aston Martine AMR23, had an impressive run in the first half of last season, by being a consistent contender for the podium positions. But, in the second half, the car experienced ‘struggling’ upgrades compared to its F1 rivals, and resulted in Alonso finishing P4 in the 2023 Driver’s Standings.
Emphasizing on giving a competitive car to Alonso, he said, “And I also said that the most important thing is that we give him a quick car. So that he believes in this project, and that he believes in this team.”
“Everything else we will have to discuss over the weeks to come. Now, it is clear that a driver of that caliber is attractive for everybody, but we will try to keep him,” he further added.
Amidst these talks of Alonso’s next step in Formula 1, Krack was also ‘full of praises’ for the 42-year-old Spaniard in another media session.
Fernando Alonso’s value to Aston Martin
In another interview with Motorsports, Mike Krack has also opened up on Fernando Alonso’s influence on the team, stating him as an ‘Old Fox’ who brings more than just pure driving prowess.
Talking about Alonso’s impact on and off the track, he stated, “It’s not only what he brings in terms of proven talent and race craft; that, I think, we don’t have to discuss.”
“He brings this extra to the team, driving and pushing and motivating everybody. And leading by example, from the first moment in the morning to late at night, which is exemplary.”
During the interview, Krack also praised Alonso’s game-time tactics, which he often uses to keep his rivals confused- as seen from his incident with George Russell at the latest Saudi Arabian GP.
“Fernando is always teasing you, you have to be careful if he’s really honest about it, because he knows all the strategies before, he knows where all the field is. And sometimes he maybe does it even on purpose, because he knows the competitors are listening. So, he’s an old fox.”
“But he always wakes us up. As soon as you think for one lap you can read it, there comes a radio call, and he says, ‘What about Plan B?’, like Fernando always does. So, we then had a look at the Plan B, but you will not finish where you finish with Plan B.”
Alonso’s recent results in the 2024 F1 season clearly show what he brings to Aston Martin: a P9 finish at Bahrain and a P5 spot in the Saudi Arabian GP. Fernando Alonso will now tackle the Melbourne Grand Prix circuit on March 24th at the 2024 Australian GP.
Can Alonso bring out his best values for Aston Martin at the Aussie Grand Prix? Will he stay with the British team beyond this season? If not, which team should he sign for? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
