16 January 2023 , 19:18
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Fernando Alonso has now been backed by more than one Formula 1 leader to excel in his new team colours.
The Spaniard may turn 42 later this year, but he is showing few signs of slowing down. Most in his position would be winding their careers down or would have retired already, but Alonso is bucking the trend and has begun a new chapter with Aston Martin.
His move from Alpine was something of a surprise at the time, though it quickly became clear why he had chosen to make the switch. Alonso's old employer was offering only a one-year deal, and he wanted his F1 future to be more secure.
Aston Martin is a step down in the context of their results over the past couple of seasons, but were willing to offer a longer contract. Another veteran, Sebastian Vettel, was unable to spur them on to new heights in his two seasons with the team, but the Spaniard will hope to be able to achieve more.
F1's chief technical officer Pat Symonds is confident that Alonso still has what it takes to be able to help his ambitious new employers to achieve their goals. "If you put him in the right car, I'm damn sure he could still win races," he said.
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
"He has fabulous ability and you've got to remember, yes, he's 'only' won the world championship twice, but he's finished second a lot [three times]. And any of those ones where he's finished second, he wasn't far off winning. He could have been a five-time world champion but for a little bit of fate."
FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem think Alonso can push Aston Martin on to success (Getty Images)With that statement, Symonds appears to be in agreement with Mohammed ben Sulayem. The FIA president recently asserted that the F1 budget cap can help teams like Aston Martin to challenge for race wins, and that Alonso will be vital in helping them to do that.
"The way the investment is going, and then having a smart guy like Fernando, I believe yes," Ben Sulayem said. "Performance first is important. Winning is very hard. You can talk about Ferrari, but Ferrari did not win [in 2022]. But was it because it is slow? No. It's maybe the reliability, the management, the whole thing mixed together.
"I think Aston Martin is not short of the finance. It maybe needs a different way of [doing things] and the changes that [team owner Lawrence] Stroll is changing now into it, bringing another driver, bringing a new discipline to his team, new personnel, that is very important also."