Jacques Villeneuve sees Fernando Alonso as a huge asset for Aston Martin and a "huge loss" for Alpine. The 1997 world champion questions the new driver line-up, which will consist of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in 2023.
Villeneuve calls Alonso 'huge loss' for Alpine
Alonso left Alpine after the 2022 Formula 1 season in exchange for a multi-year contract with Aston Martin, which sees the arrival of the two-time world champion as a huge asset. "I think that Alpine will be very sad to not have Alonso anymore. That’s a huge loss. He was really pushing the team forward," Villeneuve said in a conversation with PlanetF1.com.
About the new driver line-up, the former F1 driver is sceptical. "Now, you have two French guys in a French team in an international sport. I don’t see the point," reads Villeneuve's clear verdict. In contrast, he thinks Aston Martin can actually grow through Alonso's arrival.
Whether Alonso will thrive in the new environment remains to be seen, but for now he is lyrical about both his new team and his teammate, Lance Stroll. "I don’t know how that balance will work out, how the atmosphere will stay, but obviously, Alonso, he’s always been a very difficult guy when things don’t go his way," Villeneuve continued.
At the same time, the Canadian notes that Alonso has been extremely positive about Stroll for some time: "Even when they clashed in Austin, where in a similar situation in the past he would have gone ballistic." Villeneuve, therefore, expects not only the team but also Stroll can start making serious growth with Alonso's arrival.