Fans around the world, and truth be told, probably Fernando Alonso himself, have been wondering what the meaning of the phrase ‘El Plan’ really is.
The slogan started circulating last season when the Spaniard mentioned it during an interview, and it quickly became a meme, with his Alpine team even running the slogan on the back of their car at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Fast forward to now, and the plan has taken its next step. Alonso is set to leave Alpine at the end of this season, and he will become an Aston Martin driver in 2023, replacing the retiring Sebastian Vettel.
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The double world champion had been after a longer contract with the French team after returning last season, but Otmar Szafnauer was only willing to offer him a one plus one deal.
The Enstone-based side, with whom Alonso won both his world titles in 2005 and 2006, had been wary of the fact that they wanted to put Oscar Piastri in the car in the next few years, so keeping the 41-year-old on a long-term contract was not going to work.
This was a situation that Alonso too found untenable, so he has decided to head to Silverstone to join Lawrence Stroll’s championship project.
Expanding on the meaning of ‘El Plan’ though, Alonso has revealed that, having left Formula 1 at the end of 2018 after four more seasons with McLaren, he wanted to come back.
“The plan was to come back to Formula 1,” he said, quoted by AS.
“Those challenges were very enriching both personally and professionally, the challenge was to get back to the top, and I feel good.
“Now I have signed for two more years with another team.”
The double world champion had spent four years racing at the back and, at best, in the midfield with a McLaren team whose renewed partnership with Honda had not worked out.
Alonso was beginning to grow tired of the pinnacle of motorsport, which is why he felt he needed to leave.
However, he is now competing at the top of the midfield, and might have been on for pole positions and podiums had it not been for some horrible misfortune this season.
A rejuvenated Alonso no longer feels that there is a cap on his career; he just wants to enjoy the moment.
“I don’t have it figured out, the sport is my life and I know I have an expiry date, but I try to enjoy it.
“When I left Formula 1 in 2018 I was mentally and physically exhausted.
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“Since I came back, I don’t feel like that, I’m fresher.
“I don’t know how long I will go on, I will never retire from motorsport, but from Formula 1 I will retire when it stops making me happy. At the moment, it’s the opposite.”
The 32-time race winner divulged that, what he may lack in physical advantages having gone into his forties, he makes up for in experience and knowledge.
“I always use the Dakar as an example, if you do three or four rallies and a few tests, you can be ready even if you are quite a few years old,” added Alonso.
“In professional sport, experience and knowledge of the body come together.
“You don’t know the same when you are 20 as when you are 40, now you know which parts are harder to train, but there are things age doesn’t forgive.”
Alpine are trying to find a replacement for Alonso after Piastri denied he will be promoted to the team next season.
The Australian is thought to have made a deal with McLaren to replace compatriot Daniel Ricciardo, in a move that could see the 33-year-old move the other way and return to Enstone.