Is Alonso leaving to a winning project? 'Aston Martin shows that'

Nobody could have foreseen that Fernando Alonso would make the switch from Alpine to Aston Martin. Former Formula 1 driver Pedro De la Rosa thinks the Spaniard is making a good choice. Lawrence Stroll's team is extremely ambitious and has clear plans for the future.

After the announcement of Sebastian Vettel retiring after 2022, there was much discussion about who would succeed the four-time world champion. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Aston Martin announced that Alonso will replace the 35-year-old driver. For many, the arrival of the Spaniard is a surprise, also for Alpine. Alonso's current team thought he would continue driving for the team for at least another year, but in the meantime the Spaniard secretly discussed his contract with Aston Martin.

While Alonso scored another podium with Alpine in 2021 and is fighting for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship this season, Aston Martin is currently racing at the back of the field. But the team has a clear goal in mind: to win the World Championship. Alonso will be part of a young team, led by the ambitious Lawrence Stroll. De la Rosa analyses the Spaniard's move.

Alonso will attract new talent

"The most important thing for a driver is to be part of a winning project, sooner or later. Aston Martin's investment and ambition show that", De la Rosa tells Spanish radio station La Cadena SER. The number of employees at Aston Martin has doubled in 2022. There is also substantial investment in new facilities.

According to De la Rosa, the arrival of Alonso will also lead to a strengthening of the technical team. "I really like this marriage, because it is going in the right direction. Lawrence Stroll is a successful businessman. As an engineer you go to the best project, not the one that pays you the best. His arrival means attracting more talent to an ambitious project."