Szafnauer learned about Alonso’s departure through the press release
While the news has had the effect of an earthquake in the world of Formula 1, Otmar Szafnauer, the leader of the Alpine team, revealed that he became aware of Fernando Alonso's departure to Aston Martin through the press release.
Otmar Szafnauer thought that Alpine was on the right track to extend Fernando Alonso’s contract, but he was mistaken! On Monday, the Spanish driver officially announced his move to Aston Martin’s team starting in 2023. Alonso will replace Vettel, who will retire at the end of the season. Both parties seemed close to reaching an agreement before the summer break.
While everything seemed to indicate that there would be an extension after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Szafnauer was shocked when he read Aston Martin’s press release announcing Fernando Alonso’s arrival for 2023.
“It was at that moment that I learned that he had signed with them (Aston Martin),” he says in Autosport. “Obviously, when you’re in the paddock, you hear all sorts of rumors, and of course, I was aware that they were interested.”
Once there is interest, you can be almost certain that there have already been contacts, discussions, when they come out of a motorhome at the same time for example. But I remained confident, even during the discussions. I believe there is nothing wrong with exploring other options, especially since we remained confident about an agreement.
The rumor of a potential departure of Alonso to the English team already existed since May, it has finally been confirmed, and Alpine will have to find another driver for next season.
The leader of the French team confirms having learned about the departure of the Spanish driver through the press.
« Yes, the first confirmation was the press release. Before that, I had spoken with Fernando and he had told me that he hadn’t signed anything yet, so I was a little surprised. Since then, I haven’t spoken to him, he’s on a boat, I believe, in the Greek islands.
Szafnauer revealed that Alpine and Alonso had agreed on a one-year guaranteed contract, with another year as an option. This allows Alonso to secure a seat until 2023, and possibly longer if he continues to perform well.
According to Autosport, the central element that supposedly tipped the balance in favor of Lawrence Stroll’s team seems to be the duration of the contract offered. Alonso wanted more guarantees regarding his future in F1 rather than the performance of the car he would be in.
