41-year-old old master surprisingly takes over the Vettel cockpit
Fernando Alonso in the Alpine and Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin side by side on the track. The Spaniard will take over the German’s car for the next season
Those: pa / DPPI media / Joao Filipe
Fernando Alonso can’t get enough of Formula 1. At the age of 41, the Spaniard changes teams again – and succeeds Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. This also has an impact on Mick Schumacher.
Er ended Michael Schumacher’s title era more than a decade and a half ago, now he will succeed Sebastian Vettel. Fernando Alonso can’t get enough of Formula 1 even at the age of 41. The two-time champion signed a contract with Aston Martin for several years. After this season he switched from the French Alpine team to the British racing team.
“Bang in Formula 1”, wrote the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca”. “No one in the paddock expected that,” said “As”. Only last Thursday Vettel announced that he would end his career at the age of 35 after this season.
Alonso is far from finished. “I still have the hunger and the ambition to fight at the top,” emphasizes the Spaniard. More than two decades ago, in March 2001, he celebrated his debut in the premier class of motorsport. After a year at Minardi, he went to Renault. With the French manufacturer he beat Michael Schumacher in Ferrari in 2005 and 2006. The move to McLaren followed.
Carried on hands: Alonso after his first world title in 2005
Quelle: pa/dpa/dpaweb/DPPI Thierry Bovy
There, however, the proud Spaniard fought a poisoned team fight with the then newcomer Lewis Hamilton. The Finn Kimi Raikkonen benefited from the Stallzoff when he won the 2007 Ferrari World Championship. Alonso returned to Renault after just one season, before moving to Ferrari in 2010.
Three times vice world champion at Vettel’s best time
But it was Vettel’s wedding in the Red Bull, Alonso lost the title fight year after year. In 2010, 2012 and 2013 he was Vice World Champion. From 2015, Alonso’s hopes of returning to the World Cup throne were not fulfilled even during his second McLaren time. After a two-year break from Formula 1, he returned to Renault’s successor Alpine in 2021. The 32-time Grand Prix winner is currently tenth in the World Championship. He is still considered one of the fastest and most talented pilots in the field.
“I saw how excited the engineering team and the whole company were about the opportunity to work with Fernando. We know that almost anyone can learn from someone of Fernando’s caliber and experience,” says team boss Mike Krack, who pulled off a real coup at the beginning of the summer break.
Alonso’s experience can only be an advantage for Aston Martin. The team is second to last in the Constructors’ Championship with just 20 points. “Aston Martin is one of the most exciting teams in Formula 1,” Alonso is quoted as saying, “and it’s obvious that they have the ambition and the passion to be successful in Formula 1.”
Alonso is currently tenth in the drivers’ standings
Source: dpa/Anna Szilagyi
It is now also clear that Mick Schumacher’s options for the coming year will become even more manageable. His contract with Haas is about to expire. Aston Martin was considered a possible alternative. At Alpine, the 21-year-old Australian Oscar Piastri should have the best chance of taking the vacant cockpit.
