Pedro de la Rosa, former driver and current ambassador for Aston Martin, stated that he felt Fernando Alonso’s desire to continue in Formula 1, ‘already halfway through last year’, even with the drop in performance faced by the team at the time.
When Alonso left Alpine for Aston Martin at the end of 2022 on a two-year contract, the assumption was that the two-time F1 champion would be approaching the end of his career.
Initially, the team stood out at the start of last season due to new aerodynamic rules. Alonso achieved six podiums in the first eight races, but the car’s performance declined due to the misguided development of upgrades.
For the 2024 season, there was plenty of speculation about Alonso’s future and whether he would continue beyond this year. The 42-year-old stated that he needed time to make a decision, but that he would not keep the team waiting.
Surprising everyone, Alonso signed a new two-year contract, valid until the end of 2026, which will take him to over 45 years old, still racing in F1.
“The fact that he wants to stay with this team, not for one year, but for two years, is just incredible,” said De la Rosa in an interview with RacingNews365.
“When Fernando arrived here last year, I honestly, he never said, but I felt like this would be the last year, referring to 2024. However, halfway through last year, even during the difficult times we faced, you could feeling that he wanted to continue, and this is another example of motivation, but also proof of how happy he was in the team”, he added.
Alonso stayed true to his word. When it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would leave Mercedes to join Ferrari next year, after triggering a release clause in a renewed contract he had only signed midway through last year, it shook up the driver market.
Naturally, Alonso was then linked with potential moves to Mercedes and Red Bull, before opting to remain loyal to Aston Martin.
“I could feel he wanted to continue. That doesn’t mean he said he wanted to continue, it was a personal feeling because he was having fun. However, he was always very honest with the team in saying that he would make a decision by April. The driver market has changed in that time, but he kept his word. For him, it didn’t matter if there was another team with potential spots available. He told the team, ‘Hold on, I’ll make a decision when I’m ready.’ I think this just proves how strong he is,” concluded De la Rosa.
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