Fernando Alonso will join F1 team Aston Martin next season

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LONDON – Double world champion Fernando Alonso will extend his Formula 1 career by joining Aston Martin next season.

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The 41-year-old Spaniard will replace Sebastian Vettel, who announced his retirement last week. Alonso’s contract with Alpine ended this season. Aston Martin announced on Monday that it has signed Alonso to a multi-year contract.

« No one in Formula 1 today shows greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes for a really exciting opportunity for me, » Alonso said of Aston Martin. « I still have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the forefront, and I want to be part of an organization that is committed to learning, growing and succeeding. »

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Alonso is entering his 20th season in F1. He won his titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. He took two years off in 2019 and 2020 to race in other series, including races at the Indy 500.

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« I have witnessed the enthusiasm of the engineering team and the entire organization at working with Fernando, » said Mike Krack, Aston Martin team principal. “We know almost anyone can learn from someone of Fernando’s caliber and experience. We are confident that he will inspire everyone to improve their game.”

Aston Martin, whose other driver is Lance Stroll, son of owner Lawrence Stroll, is only ninth in the 10-team constructors’ standings this season.

Alonso said he knew Lance and Lawrence well and they shared the same « ambition and passion to succeed » in F1.

“We all appreciate that there is a lot to do moving forward and that we need to apply all of our energies to working together to find the performance,” Alonso said. « The passion and desire to perform that I witnessed convinced me to maintain my enjoyment and commitment to the sport. I intend to win again in this sport and so I must seize the opportunities that suit me.

Alpine has improved in recent seasons and is fourth in the constructors’ race. Alonso is 10th in the standings of the 20 drivers. He joined Alpine in 2021 after his two-year break from the series.