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Fernando Alonso Never Intended on Leaving Aston Martin, Only the Sport

Published 04/13/2024, 6:21 AM EDT

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Big news for Fernando Alonso fans as the driver has finally renewed his contract! This will be the longest time the 42-year-old has spent in one team and Aston Martin seems to keep him happy. While everyone thought that he would be moving to Mercedes, that rumor has been debunked thoroughly.

To discuss the same, in a recent F1: Beyond the Grid podcast, Tom Clarkson invited Pedro de la Rosa and Damon Hill. The conversation moved to an interesting juncture as the Aston Martin Ambassador Rosa shared the real dilemma that the two-time world champion was going through.

Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin Vs Retirement

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Pedro de la Rosa spoke about the only two options that Fernando Alonso was considering. He shared what he believes is the best way to run a team saying, “I just believe that the way we should keep going is just by keeping drivers because that’s the strongest team we can be.” He explained that Carlos Sainz was not a part of the discussion and the team has been willing to continue with Alonso.

Explaining what the Spaniard was thinking about, Rosa said, “The real question that was on the table was if Fernando, wanted to continue.” The 42-year-old has time and again discussed retiring after his two-decade-long service of burning tires on the tarmac. But he was clear that he would only retire once he stopped being hungry for the sport.

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Giving insight on Aston Martin and Alonso’s situation Rosa stated, “The reality within our team, and with Fernando, was always that, I mean, the only question that he had to answer to himself is, ‘Do I want to continue in F1 and show this level of commitment?'” Lucky for all of his fans, because he answered the question and it was a yes.

Alonso is here to stay until 2026 not only in Aston Martin, but F1 in the whole. And this makes the upcoming season all the more interesting while they try to fight Mercedes for a P4 finish on the constructors or better.

Aston Martin is ready for war

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With Alonso’s contract extended, Aston Martin is getting ready to show F1 that they are not just a midfield team. While currently, the battle is with Mercedes, it’s McLaren that they reportedly want to go after. The team that is currently at P3, is getting quicker and in the past few races, Alonso was evidently left behind to see the orange car’s brake lights. This is sure to be unacceptable for the two-time world champion and starting now, fans can perhaps expect some strong dedication from the driver towards his team.

Having said that, Lawrence Stroll and Mike Krack are both happy with Fernando Alonso in the team and are ready to deliver what he needs. Aston Martin is also working on having their own wind tunnel to accelerate their aerodynamic capabilities. Along with this, there are a lot of infrastructural developments that the team is taking on to make sure that Alonso has a chance at the title soon.

via Reuters

If it’s not this year for P3, it will be the target next year for sure. But that being said, F1 is quite unpredictable and anything can happen at this point. Do you think Aston Martin has what it takes to come P3 in the constructors championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Viren Mirpuri

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Viren Mirpuri is an F1 Writer at EssentiallySports. With a Degree in Mass Media and a Specialization in Journalism, Viren is known for his speedy race day coverage outside of discussing the engine technicalities. Whether he's dissecting the latest technical innovations or unraveling the drama on and off the track, he ensures that his readers stay engaged and informed.
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Edited by:

Ariva Debnath