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Alpine was at a loss for words: 'He wanted guarantees'

Alpine was at a loss for words: 'He wanted guarantees'

07-08-2022 17:55 Last update: 20:03
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GPblog.com

Fernando Alonso appeared to be on his last team in Formula 1, but on Monday the Spaniard announced that he would be leaving Alpine in 2023 for an adventure at Aston Martin. Otmar Szafnauer understands why Alonso made this decision, although he hoped that the driver would have stayed loyal to his stable.

During talks with Alonso, the Alpine team boss noticed that the driver was looking for security for the coming years. The team could not quite satisfy his wishes with that, as Alpine was actually intending to take it one year at a time. "A long-term commitment from the team was very important to Alonso. A two-year contract," Szafnauer told Elconfidencial.com.

Alonso was looking for security

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, Alonso was in talks with Aston Martin. As Sebastian Vettel announced to leave Formula 1 at the end of the season, the formation had to look for a replacement. They found Alonso.

However, it was clear to Alpine that it would not go too far. The past shows that athletes at a certain age are outsmarted by the competition. The 41-year-old Alonso may not be far from that, Szafnauer explains.

"Schumacher was 42 years old and was beaten by Rosberg. At 38, that would not have happened. And it happens to all of us," he states. "That's why we thought the best thing to do with Fernando was to agree on a year, plus a year, plus a year. Only he wanted guarantees for more seasons."