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Two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso says he would not have gone to Aston Martin if he believed that he couldn’t perform or that Aston Martin couldn’t win.
Teammates Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll visited Aston Martin HQ in late January. (Image Credit: @AstonMartinF1 on Twitter)The 41-year-old previously took a two year sabbatical after leaving McLaren in 2018. He later rejoined the F1 grid in 2021 with Alpine and completed two seasons with the French team.
The Spaniard has now moved to Aston Martin Cognizant and signed a multi-year deal. However, a main discussion online and within the F1 community is how this is a step down for Alonso. Aston Martin struggled to place P7 in the Constructors Championship last year, while Alpine finished in P4.
Alonso rebutted by stating that if he was not confident in the team’s ability he wouldn’t have signed with them.
“No, I think I will not accept that and I will not continue if I don’t believe that we can have a chance.”
“I don’t know if it’s one percent chance or 10 percent, but I will only continue because I believe that we will have a chance.”
“Next year to close the gap that Aston Martin has I think it’s unrealistic, but we need to put the foundation we need, to put the baseline to future cars and to work better than the people around us.
“This is a very competitive environment, so to become a champion you need to deliver something special. I’m ready to deliver something special from my side and I expect the same from the team.”
Alonso’s future in F1
Alonso has said that he would want to stay in F1 for “two or three more years for sure”. But the two-time world champion cannot guarantee anything for the long-term.
“I think I would take it year by year. I don’t know, [in 2021] I was maybe not 100%. If I do a few seasons like that, even if I perform from the outside okay but I don’t feel happy with myself, then maybe I stop.”
“And [2022] for example, I feel very proud. I will continue whatever the results are next year, because I know what I can give to the team. So, I don’t know, two to three years for sure.”
Aston Martin improvement
The Silverstone-based team struggled in their last season, but Alonso believes he can help make a difference.
“Where I believe I can make a difference is when it comes to crucial moments in the races, experience, decisions or thinking about the strategy.
“It’s not about the driving abilities, I think we all have high talent, driving cars fast. It is more about the head and how you control a few things.”
Headline Image Credit: Formula 1 Official Website