Aston Martin has moved quickly to announce a replacement for Sebastian Vettel, swapping one world champion for another with Fernando Alonso agreeing to join the team in 2023 on a multi-year deal.
Alonso returned to Formula 1 in 2021 with Alpine after a two-year sabbatical and has put in a string of impressive drives alongside Esteban Ocon.
But when Vettel announced last Thursday that he would retire at the end of the season, Alonso emerged as the favorite to replace him given his wealth of F1 experience which includes two World Championships.
READ MORE: Vettel says retirement call ‘not a decision I made overnight’, admits ‘scared’ of life after F1
On Monday, after scoring his eighth consecutive point at the Hungarian Grand Prix and as F1’s summer break began, Aston Martin revealed the Spaniard had signed on the points line in what they said was ” a clear statement of intent from an organization committed to developing a winning F1 team.”
“This Aston Martin team is clearly applying the energy and commitment to win and is therefore one of the most exciting teams in Formula 1 today,” said Alonso, who took the last of the 32 race wins in 2013.
Alonso will take up the seat of his former training partner Sebastian Vettel
“I’ve met Lawrence and Lance [Stroll] for many years and it is very obvious that they have the ambition and passion to succeed in Formula 1. I have seen how the team has systematically attracted great people with winning pedigrees, and I have become aware of the huge commitment to new facilities facilities and resources. at Silverstone. No one in Formula 1 today is showing a greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me.
“I still have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the top, and I want to be part of an organization that is committed to learning, developing and succeeding. We all appreciate that there is a lot to do to get to the top and that we must apply all our energies to work together to find the performance.
READ MORE: ‘My best career is yet to come’: Read Vettel’s retirement statement in full as four-time champion calls time on F1 career
“The passion and desire to perform that I have witnessed convinces me to maintain my enjoyment and commitment to sport. I intend to win again in this sport, so I have to take the opportunities that feel right to me.”
Owner Lawrence Stroll said: “I have known and admired Fernando for many years and it has always been clear that he is a committed winner like myself. I have set out to bring together the best people and develop the right resources and organization to have success in this highly competitive sport, and those plans are taking shape at Silverstone.
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“It seemed natural to us, therefore, to invite Fernando to be part of the development of a winning team, and in our last conversations we verified very quickly that we have the same ambitions and values, and it was logical and easy to confirm our will to work together .”
Team principal Mike Krack added: “I’ve witnessed the excitement of the engineering team and the entire organization at the opportunity to work with Fernando. We know almost anyone can learn from someone of Fernando’s caliber and experience.
“We’re sure he’ll inspire everyone to step up their game, and that will only add to the already infectious energy in the team. We’re on the road to building a winning organization, and it’s clear that Fernando will accelerate our progress and it will lead us to a performance we can be proud of.
“We are delighted to have Fernando and Lance as our driver line-up next year – the combination of experience and youth will be incredibly strong and both drivers look forward to competing and working together. The team has new leadership focused on development of AMR23, and we are all delighted that they and our future projects will benefit from the knowledge and experience that Fernando will bring.”
