Aston Martin on age of Alonso: 'Previous team made a whole story out of it'
General
- Toby McLuskie
Fernando Alonso last signed a two-year contract with Aston Martin. There was some public criticism of the British formation after choosing the then 41-year-old Alonso. After all, is this Alonso still the Alonso of, say, a decade ago? By now it is no longer a discussion and the Spaniard seems even better than ever? Will Alonso still be racing in Formula 1 after 2024?
Seven podiums were already there for Alonso this year, so his age is no longer a topic of conversation. When his contract expires after next year, the two-time world champion will be 43 years old. Considering how driven and how ambitious he is now, we should not be surprised if Alonso wants to add another year, although that remains mostly guesswork at the moment.
Alonso at Aston Martin
When Motorsport-Total.com asks Mike Krack if it is Alonso himself how long he wants to stay at Aston Martin, he replies, "I won't make that decision alone, of course. Because we have Lawrence [Stroll, owner], we have Martin [Whitmarsh, CEO] and we discuss these things, but at the level he operates at, [age] is just a number," Krack reiterates.
The team boss continued by saying that with the right discipline and right motivation, a lot is possible. In doing so, he cites examples like Valentino Rossi or Roger Federer, two top athletes who have had very long careers. "And then there is this example [of Fernando] with tremendous focus, tremendous determination. We don't even talk [about his age]. You just do. We have two drivers who are maximally focused and we don't really think about it. That's the interesting thing about it. I think we were lucky that his previous team [Renault] made a whole story out of it. That made it easier for us."
Stroll's position
In any case, Aston Martin seems to be Alonso's last team in Formula 1. Will he continue to drive alongside Lance Stroll for the rest of his career? The Canadian is of course the big boss's son, but Stroll Jr's achievements are not in line with his father's sky-high ambitions of becoming world champion with Aston Martin.
While Alonso is third in the World Championship with 170 points, Stroll has to make do with a provisional ninth place and 'only' 47 points. Outside criticism of Stroll is increasing, including from Nico Rosberg, for example.