At the age of 41, Fernando Alonso is continuing to defy expectations and with the Spaniard at the start of a two-year deal with Aston Martin, he will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Frustrated by the number of times he was forced to retire from races due to engine issues last season, Alonso controversially decided to sign for Aston Martin over the summer break.
The Spaniard was on the verge of extending his contract with Alpine but Sebastian Vettel’s shock retirement presented Alonso with an opportunity at Aston Martin that he could not turn down.
Whilst the move looked strange at the time, with Aston Martin sitting in seventh in the championship, Alonso’s decision already looks to have paid off.
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Using the knowledge of staff members such as former Red Bull head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows, Aston Martin have created an AMR23 that was the second fastest car on the grid in Bahrain.
Stunningly, Fernando Alonso scored the 99th podium of his career on his Aston Martin debut and this has prompted F1 legend Jacques Villeneuve to claim that Alpine will suffer from Alonso’s departure.
“We knew he was in the game in the testing in Bahrain, but he was really impressive in his overtaking. At 41, age definitely matters,” said the 1997 F1 champion.
“If you get to the point where you no longer have that desire and that will to take risks, you might as well quit. But Alonso has demonstrated that he is as hungry as he was 20 years ago.
“It’s a big catch for Aston Martin. Alpine will suffer from his loss.”
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Alpine have done their best to replace Alonso and brought in Pierre Gasly from AlphaTauri over the winter break, being able to pry the Frenchman away from the Red Bull system.
Gasly’s Alpine career has started strongly, with the 27-year-old recovering from his P20 start to finish in P9 in Bahrain, scoring two points for his new team.
With Ferrari and Mercedes struggling so far this season, Aston Martin will have the runners up spot in the championship firmly in their sights this season.