Alonso left Alpine for Aston Martin: 'Had two contracts on the table'

In 2022, Fernando Alonso suddenly left his employer Alpine for Aston Martin. Something that was not expected and announced tremendously soon after Sebastian Vettel's departure. In Spain's El Larguero podcast, Alonso explains that his departure from Alpine was a confluence of circumstances, including a lack of professionalism at the French racing stable.

Quick deal Alonso and Aston Martin

On 28 July, Vettel announced his retirement. This freed up a seat at the Aston Martin team and it was filled remarkably quickly. Indeed, three days later, on 1 August, it was already announced that Alonso would be moving to the British team, leaving the Spaniard Alpine. "An accumulation of circumstances. The first is that Vettel retired, without Vettel's retirement, without that announcement, which took us a bit by surprise, and the free seat that was left at Aston Martin, it would have been impossible," Alonso begins in the podcast.

"The second was that Alpine had been negotiating for several months, nothing was ever finalised, we agreed on everything, but we couldn't get the paper to sign, and well, there was a lack of professionalism, which I noticed at that time at Alpine. Then at Aston Martin since Vettel's retirement, I think it was the Thursday of the Hungarian GP, on Saturday we had everything clear and the paper was in front of my eyes and on the table. That will, that desire to have me, attracted me and well it was an adventure, seventh in the constructors, there was risk in this change, but look in the end it worked out."

Alonso had choice in his own hands

Alonso could still have signed for Alpine, but ultimately chose Aston Martin. "Alpine also rushed at the last moment and there were a few hours when I had both offers on the table. I think the level of ambition at Aston Martin was higher than at Alpine," the Spaniard explained his choice.

"The signings they had over the last two years, taking a lot of people from Red Bull, from Mercedes, great engineers, great designers, it was a project, at least with more ambition. It was going to take time to win, to make podiums, that's always difficult to guess, but the ambition of Aston Martin was clear and it seduced me," Alonso further explains.