When Fernando Alonso announced midway through last season that he would be ditching Alpine for Aston Martin in 2023, a few eyebrows were raised.
The Spaniard’s decision to leave the best of the rest team to fight at the back of the grid with Aston Martin seemed like a questionable choice, but the Spaniard has claimed that his decision will pay off in time.
Having spent a couple of weeks now with the team, Alonso has boldly claimed that the team has the potential to challenge for championships within a couple of years, despite struggling to score points at the majority of race weekends last year.
With such lofty goals being set by the 41-year-old, it has been suggested that his time at Aston Martin could soon turn toxic, as it did with McLaren and Alpine when the teams failed to live up to his expectations.
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Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has claimed that he is not concerned about his new signing’s reputation however, telling motorsport-magazin.com that he will be open and honest with Alonso.
“I’m not worried, I think I’m not like other team bosses,” he said.
“I don’t care about the media – I care about the team. And one of my main tasks is now to include Fernando. We are open and honest.
“If we can’t cope with something, then we tell him. If we decide to act in a certain way, we inform him about it. I think as long as we work in this way, no problems will arise.”
Krack has explained that he is confident that Alonso will benefit the team in the long run rather than hinder them, mainly due to the experience and knowledge that he can bring to the team.
“Fernando is a ‘team killer’? So be it,” he said.
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“If he helps the team, then I don’t mind. My goal is to make Alonso an important member of the team for many years to come.
“We must use his experience. I think he looks at things differently compared to 10 or 15 years ago. So I’m looking forward to the start of the season, even though I know it will be difficult.”
With only weeks to go until the Bahrain Grand Prix kicks off the 2023 season, meaning that fans will not have to wait long to see just how competitive Aston Martin will be this year.