Fernando Alonso was Mercedes’ plan B for 2025, but he was always Aston Martin’s Plan A - and now he’s decided to repay that faith by halting his own push for a Red Bull seat and sticking with Aston Martin through 2025, 2026 and - in some capacity - well beyond.
Given Alonso’s status as one of F1’s truly elite drivers, what he’s decided to do will have significant consequences for the rest of the grid.
Here are six important ways that Alonso’s crucial decision will impact F1’s 2025 driver market and the wider competitive landscape for him and Aston Martin.
00:00 Intro
00:35 Red Bull loses its best alternative
01:59 The new most coveted driver
03:23 Mercedes set on Antonelli
05:35 Door now closed for other drivers
06:45 Aston retains a megastar for Honda
08:27 Aston will be Alonso's last F1 team
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Now Aston management need to grow the testicular fortitude to tell Lawrence they need to get rid of stroll
Perfectly worded mate
Lawrence is the dad Lance got but Alonso is the dad he deserves. Alonso needs to sit down with Lance and just tell him how it is.
The only way Lance is leaving AM is by his own decision. The only reason Lawrence owns the team in the first place is to let his son race. Lawrence has so much money, he doesn't need the team to win.
qualifying 16th in the same car that fernando put in 5th while also having more time with the upgrades in practice is a hilarious discrepancy, he should have lost his seat a long time ago but his dad keeps soothing his ego "no youre a great driver, heres a new car to replace the one you broke 5 times :)"
People hate on Lance, but he’s one of the 20 best F1 drivers currently available… he’s just not top 10.
I bet we will see Alonso up and down the grid for decades wearing his Kimoa cap and being effectively their Niki Lauda.
Which suits a Legend such as Alo perfectly
I love this.
I guess we all were rooting for Nando to move elsewhere. But given the aston Martin seats are blocked now, Mercedes remains the only good enough step for sainz to take, seeing checo has got his head in the right place
@@sambitbasu6261 Honestly, i think Albon-Sainz would be a hell of a line-up at Audi. Remains to be seen wether Audi can convince Sainz, and wether they can actually translate their new ressources into added performance, but i would love to see it.
@@sambitbasu6261there’s a rumour of a sainz 2 year deal with merc but of course since it’s a rumour, who knows
I remember vividly hating Alonso because he was the one who stopped Michael's streak..... But I have SO much respect for Alonso, his commitment, dedication, longevity, supreme brilliance on the track. I want Alonso to win a 3rd World Title, what an incredible story that would be!
Dude same
ditto!!!!
lol always us!
I always loved Alonso for that precise reason. Not that I ever really had anything against Michael, just felt the way that lots of people feel about Verstappen always winning now. Alonso breathed new life into the sport for me.
@@danglyde8680same with me. Always admired what Micheal was doing, but the battle He and Alonso had was great fun to watch.
Sainz and Alonso would be a good pairing if not for the Stroll's nepotism.
what nepotism man if ur dad owns a place its presumed u gonna work there in the future stop being jealous that his dad can afford to give his son a seat in f1
@@jonathanazariahj1019that’s the definition of nepotism mate
@@jonathanazariahj1019 🤦🏾♂️
Have Lance as one ofAston’s pit crew then. I’d argue a driver demonstrably responsible for demoting Aston from a likely 4th to 5th in last year’s championship, costing the team millions in damages, and regularly displaying arrogant, tetchy behaviour, yet still retaining his seat, to be a classic case of nepotism.
Papa Stroll mayvpay Djokovic to play double with Lance to get him out from F1. 😁
Why would Max leave RB at this point? Are we supposed to believe the team is in such conflict, that he would prefer a team, Merc, that is apparently completely clueless with the current regulations than to be in the best car in which all he does is win? This speculation about Mac is crazy!
Jos calculated that max can win with any top 5 F1 team,
If the RB powertrains project and Ford's involvement isn't meeting the needed milestones, he may be feeling wary
I don’t think it’ll be the drama. I think it’ll be boredom that makes him leave. Which is something that he has said in the past.
He also hates the changes f1 keep implementing
Honestly it's probably RedBull or retirement for Max
Aston Martin is actually #4 if it wasn’t for stroll. Quite sad. Last year they should’ve been #3 honestly
Lance Stroll is a parachute pulling the team backwards.
@@ediltonspencer6974ok but don't forget other car is driven by nando.....level which only some drivers can get....so.... don't judge ....am is even bad than it appears
@@souldevil6997but you just need a driver to do half of what Nando is doing, which would be hard but it’s not impossible
@@darkassassin6457 honestly I think you may be giving to much credit, if you’re looking for a driver half as good as Nando or closeish to that I can think of at least 5 drivers on the grid who would be much much closer to 50% or better then Lance. Sainz, Albon, Hulk, Perez, and even Tsunoda come to mind as infinitely better options, and all those guys are out of contract except Albon.
You are right about them being 4th now but wrong about them being 3rd last year. Ferrari had a better car, Fernando pulled somewhat of a miracle by totalizing all those points
Sainz would be a great partnership with Alonso. If only papa Stroll could see the bigger picture.
If they could move Lance to the WEC Hypercar program and bring on Sainz, that would be a dream pairing for next year.
I am pretty sure Lawrence sees the bigger picture.
This I think is lance 7th or 8th year in f1
@@nomnomNACHO Yeah sure, if that's gimping the team for the sake of his son.
i think the whole project at AM has been built around Lance Stroll. He only loses his seat if he makes that decision.
A max and Alonso vs leclerc and Hamilton line up would have been one of the most anticipated battles ever in F1. It's sad that didn't happen.
Leclerc is only 4 points up from Sainz, despite the appendicitis. And Hamilton has less than half the points of Russell. If I had to pick top contenders for Max and Alonso it would not be Leclerc and Hamilton.
@@bigbronxif u were picking drivers, u would be changing them every 3-4 races😅
@@ravinderdasila9334if I had a wish....I wished that nando was as lucky as Hamilton in choosing teams....😢....talent wasted....much better than many 🏆
@@bigbronx I think I don't have to watch F1 anymore. 4 races in and this guy already predicted the whole championship standings!
I know there was virtually no chance of this happening, but an Alonso/Verstappen pairing at Red Bull would have been like Prost and Senna all over again
It will be interesting to see an Alonso and Honda reunion in 2026
Yeah, would be a hell of redemption arc if he managed to win races with Honda engine behind him. 😅
F2 engine!!!
@@eIucidate f2 mclaren pu intregration in the chassis you mean
@@eIucidateGP2*
Alonso wins a race: “F1 Engine! F1….AAAAGHH!”
I love how 'The Race' maps out an all-around effect of an event. The video is just not about Alonso and Aston Martin. It includes the impact of it. Great way to discuss an event.
Dont understand why everyone is saying that Max could leave Red Bull 🤦 Why in the hell he would do that? He is literally dominating F1 with the best car on the grid. Why in the right mind he would want to leave Red Bull... It makes no sense. Is he tired of winning / dominating every year? lol
It's called sports "journalism". Which honestly is an oxymoron most of the time.
Because he has said that “If Marko goes, I go” and “I might just get bored of winning all the time.” 🤷♂️
Max himself has literally stated multiple times how he doesn't like some of the stuff F1 is doing (Sprint races and an ever-ballooning schedule being his biggest issue, something Alonso also touched on as well). The guy has achieved effectively everything and more in a very short time, what reason does he have to stay if the sport is looking more and more like a joke? Couple that with power struggle inside upper Red Bull management (basically, the Thais and Horner versus Red Bull Austria and Marko) as well as Max starting up a team himself and it looks increasingly like an ever more compelling reason to leave not just the team but the sport itself. So what if he's leaving a team that's winning, is it really worth remaining in an environment like this with an idiotic series management (FOM), an inconsistant santioning body (FIA) and what looks to be an increasingly toxic team that is already leaving its future engine partner concerned? Friendly reminder that Nico Rosberg retired on the spot after winning his championship just due to the massive drama between him and Hamilton despite again being in a winning team back in 2016, far less stuff to stomach then what Max has to contend with now (while also having a family ironically enough).
@@RACECAR You're aware that your boy Lewis won't win anything ever again, right?
Because of 2026. There are new technical regulations regarding the Power Unit, and that means that Red Bull can have a complicate transition from Honda to Ford, which left the F1 20 years ago.
Great move to stay. Aston Martin has so much potential in the near future. 2026 should be a good year for Aston and Alonso
unless they get rid of Lance .. Aston has no real competitive advantage unfortunately .. theres only so much one driver can do
@@into_the_voidas time goes on, more investors come in meaning Lawrence has less of a grip in the team, they could (potentially) boot Lance for the simple fact that with the car he's given, he's unable to perform or at best maximise it quite like Fernando (that's a heavy task I know)
@@into_the_voidjust a thought of mine: as long as Aston Martin isn’t competing for the championship, maybe Lance scoring less points may even be a good thing in terms of development (worse teams get more time in the wind tunnel for example). And meanwhile they develop the car with Alonso, who shows what the car is capable of every weekend. Or am I missing something?
@@lukasb.763 It will never be a good thing. Valuable data can come with two talented drivers than just one and much can be earned in bonuses for the hard working staff too.
Ferrari dropping Sainz is a huge mistake. If Aston Martin would finally drop Stroll or better, redirect him to Endurance racing because he is bad at qualifying but good on the long run. Then they should have a Sainz Alonso Spanish line up. It would be legendary.
I feel really sad for Sainz. Most likely Perez will re-sign, Antonelli will get the mercs seat, and daddy stroll doesn't have the balls to replace his unskilled son. So he will end up in Audi and of he doesn't hurry Audi might get Hulk or albon or promote pourchaire. Honestly i fear for Sainz.
Audi wont be too bad. Seidl rates him highly, he would feel appreciated there and it while it could be 1-2 years of pain, he'd be in with a project having great potential.
Hulk has supposedly already signed
Antonelli is not ready at all
Let’s hope Ferrari find their Hamilton decision a bad one. I can’t stand the arrogant c*** winning again
Why would Stroll replace Lance , after all that is his legacy to his son, what have you done for your son?.
At the age of 42 Alonso is still one of the best driver in the grid, truly amazing and well deserved. I am sure that he can continue this performance for next 3-4 years. Alonso is still very competitive with 5 best car, if he gets little better car then he can even fight for the championship 🏆. It will be majestic to see that. I hope Aston Martin gives him that, he truly deserves it. Go Alonso 💚
I like how at 0:28, Alonso's teammate mentioned as "[TBC] Lance stroll" :D
Alonso’s ability to adapt his driving style to so many, very different F1 cars is a testament to his overall excellence. Very few drivers could do the same, and arguably Lewis has not adapted nearly as well to this generation of cars.
Sainz Alonso pair up is the dream, Lawrence needs to tell junior to go play tennis! However if audi ends up coming up with a decent pu, a year in the trenches wouldn’t be too bad, until 2026
That valkyrie project cant come soon enough to pull Stroll out of the 2nd seat
Sainz will go to Audi. Mercedes will promote Antonelli. Red Bull will keep Perez. The big question is whether or not Honda will push to have Yuki replace Lance.
I think Sainz will go to Mercedes and Kimi to williams.
@@sidharthtirkey44 In a "normal" year, you'd be right. But since Merc sucks right now, they can afford to bring him in already for 2025 which is perfect if they nail the new regs for 2026 as he would already be embedded in the motherteam. I actually think The Race have read between the lines quite well. [PS] Ah, you must have read some rumous on X on some other platform coming out of Spain and Italy. Well, here's my apology if you're right. If not, then the sports "journalists" jumped the gun as they so often do.
@@AntiVaganza Nicely explained mate . Thanks for the advice btw 😂😂 .
Finally someone talking sense. Thank you.
Or Yuki takes Alonso’s seat starting 2026 when Honda starts getting engine use. Then Alonso goes into the advisor role.
If Aston Martin wants to become a front-running team, they should get rid of Lance Stroll. They can not afford to have him in the team 😔
Lawrence Stroll's net worth is $4 billion dollars. He surely can afford it, by a huge margin.
Thats the game plan, Alonso is good enough to (help) build the car and while saving money on another driver :D
*ASTROLL MARTIN
@@FabledGentlemanYou’re looking at “afford” as finances. The other way to look at is they can’t afford a clearly 2nd rate driver who contributes little.
Son comes 1st...... company and $$$ comes second. Any good father would do the same. Lawrence bought the team so his son can drive rather than buying it to be successful. Of couse getting both would be perfect. Lance has a few years left of driving, then they can build a team putting the best drivers in the cars. No rush when your worth around $4 billion lol
It would be a shame to see Sainz dropping to the mid/back of the field but if he can't get a seat at red bull (with or without Verstappen) I do think taking the Audi project would be the best move. He had the experience to be the lead driver for that team and he's young enough that he can spend a long time there if he wants
After driving 2026 Honda powered AMR , Alonso : " Rocket Engine , Rocket Engine ! "
Max was never gonna let Alonso come to RB
The one thing AMR gets with Alonso is a guarantee that if the car can win, it will. Tsunoda may come to AMR with Honda as part of a package deal. If ORBR gets the engine right in 2026, it'll be ORBR, Ferrari and AMR.
One thing you failed to mention about Alonso staying with Aston, is that Honda supply engines in Indycar and he really, really wants that Indy 500 win!
What hurts me most about this is that Sainz is in consideration while the Hulk is stuck at Haas even though he pummeled Sainz in their time together. Hulkenberg has such enormously bad luck, it blows my mind.
The man is viable in any roll you give him. He is a class f1 driver as well as the 24-hour le mon winner, and to be honest, he could probably find success no matter where he goes, be it a GT series, the Dakar WRC, DTM, Moto GP etc.... even on the side line as head of the young driver program, it would make sense for him being the most experienced driver to date in f1 the knowledge and experience he has to share and with him being one of the last proper racing drivers on the grid with the mental grit and toughness not reallying on the tech of the car but acting on pure instinct he would bring up some amazing talent for the futur .... It's just a shame that he doesn't have a competitive teammate because with everything AM is doing to become a front-running team, the potential is well and truly there to be something special all round.
Not that I’m a fan of his, but what about Schumacher taking the open Merc seat? If Red Bull doesn’t keep Sainz then he goes to Red Bull. Can’t see him making such a step back for Audi and Williams. Sergio if offered would be good to slide down in to RB Visa when they don’t renew Daniel. Glad to see Alonzo stay loyal.
As a Schumacher fan I didnt like him winning but after Michael retired Ive come to love the guy. Hope he comes back to Indy again. I can't wait to see what Larson does there this year
It would be great to see a pure Spaniard driver lineup in AMR.
Sainz and Alonso in 2025, when Honda and new regs come along in 26, plus the ongoing investment at AM, would set them up nicely to take a step forward.
Would love to see Alonso shift into an elder statesman position for Aston Martin, like what Niki Lauda did for Mercedes. Lance needs to retire, it would have to be his decision but he seems unhappy enough it's a realistic outcome.
Smart move for Alonso because Aston Martin is getting Hondas very very competitive very reliable PU and there's no guarantee Red Bull Powertrains and Ford will produce a competitive engine right away. Sainz is likely go to Mercedes for the same huge question mark with Bed Bull Powertrains and if Newey or Horner will even stay, get pouched or dropped, Red Bull have big question marks in the future.
You know why Alonso re-signs with Aston ? Because he knows Honda will be partnering with Aston , so it won't make sense for him to leave
Honda's gonna suck with Aston though. Prove me wrong. Screencap this.
GP2 ENGINE
@@yuxiang2806 gp2 engine gave Max 3 titles
@@igisanchez265lol. Compared to rb or Audi? Not a chance.
@@nchmusic99 the project may fail hahaha
Also think this might be a long term triple crown/indi 500 win play....
Alonso extending is all well and good. I feel for Drugovich though, probably thinks he won't ever get a drive knowing Lance is still gonna be hogging that other seat
sainz imo should sign a two-year deal for merc, as by the time of end of 2026 he can see if audi is doing well or not or take some one else's seat as someone is likely to retire in 2026 opening a seat up in 2027.
Toto only wantd to offer him 1+1 bc he is obsessed w Kimi
They [Aston Martin] have been doing some impressive progress withing the last 2 years and building bases, teams and contracts really fast, but it leaves the lingering questions if they are keeping under the budget limit, even when only considering the team and car.
I like Alonso and am happy to hear he's staying at AMR. However, he really does need a teammate that can keep up with him. Lance Stroll is living the dream, so I can't imagine he'd step down for another driver, such as Carlos Sainz, but for the sake of AMR it would be awesome.
Love your content guys.
Yes I think Alonso is very well-positioned. Honda power incoming should be really interesting. Sainz is the biggest question, and you know, if he keeps out-performing LeClerc, Ferrari might be left wondering if they made the wrong decision. You'd think MB would be desperate to sign Sainz as soon as they can... but can they convince him they will be able to put a winning car under him?
I'd look at Williams as my big move if I were Sainz. It's a big name team that wants to go back to the front. I'd be partnering another ex-Red Bull driver who got pushed aside for Verstappen; so there's a sinilar background. And James Vowlz has the experience and drive to achieve from his time at Mercades. It might be a work in progress but he has time to ser that work through woth Albon just as good and just as driven to succeed
Mercedes will not have Antonelli as Russell's partner next year, even if Antonelli is promoted to F1 he will sit at William not Mercedes. Antonelli currently doesn't look brilliant, I'm not saying he's a bad driver but he still needs a lot of experience, even in F2 he is currently ranked 9th. If Mercedes want to play it safe then they should look for senior drivers like Perez, Sainz, or Albon as the main target, but if they want to gamble (most likely this is what they will do) then not Antonelli is the answer but the driver who is currently in front of their eyes, Mick. Yes Mick does often destroy cars, but looking at Mercedes' current situation if next year their performance gets worse then the public will not be too disappointed because the public will think the decline is because of Mick, and next year again they can replace Mick with Antonelli who should be more mature. But if Mick turns out to be a good driver then they can extend his contract and make him a wingman for Russell (many people in WEC say Mick is fast, even Toto himself also said Mick has a good performance on the simulator). For me this is the most likely scenario for Mercedes, the risk is relatively small compared to the potential gain.
Would love for Saint to go to Merc for a straight swap. Then we can see how good Leclerc Russell Sainz are in comparison to Lewis.
We need Sainz on that second seat 📢‼️‼️‼️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Why is there no mention of Vesti for the Merc seat and only Antonelli being mentioned?
who?
I’m amazed how the British media still thinks and somehow pushing Max to leave RB, why the F will he leave RB really, anybody with half common sense knows he won’t leave a winning team, for what? A Mercedes? If and only if Newey leaves and moves to Aston and there is question marks on the RBPt engine will he leave, but as long as Newey is there and the engine development are on track, he will be a RB driver and will beat every record Lewis has, and that is what irritates the British media hence reason they wanted him out of RB
It also opens the Honda engined cars in Indy for him to finish the triple crown
Alonso has been proving he is an ATG from the very beginning of his career. The way he has maintained elite performance for so long is nothing short of incredible.
If I was AM, i would have no problem signing Nando with a clause that he could go to RB if Max leaves.
I find it odd that Mercedes were so hesitant to sign Wehrlein or Ocon to Mercedes, even Russell at first. For them to immediately sign Antonelli straight to Mercedes doesn't make sense to me.
Is that Matt😄
Who's Matt?
@@inahole2678 Matt Gallagher, former Wtf1 showrunner, now owner of P1 channel. Voice is similar, though its not him. But very close haha.
Ofcourse not
I don't usually place odds on certain bets but I will advise against placing a bet on Fernando being in a Red Bull seat unless it's purely for an exhibition drive. Red Bull is a hot commodity seat and they currently have their pick of drivers. To be honest, I'm much more apt to see them go for Sainz for Norris at this point unless they choose to stick with Perez.
I think they will keep Perez. He is exactly what they need: a driver that knows the car and will come in second most races without challenging Max and stirring things up. Drivers 1,2 plus the constructors is theirs for the taking with the current formula and current drivers. No business case to change that unless Ferrari really start to come on strong.
There’s some really admirable sportsmen in F1, unlike other sports now, and Alonso has always been as classy as he is talented. I hope he’s involved in F1 for many more years, even beyond racing
They seem to have everything now. The icing on top would be signing up Newey but I think they'll be fine without him, too.
Woah, loyalty is hard thing to come by in F1 these days. Kudos Fernando!..
Wow. A Brit who isn't calling Charles "the eclair" Extra large Bravo👍👏
As a Brit the correct way to say his name is "The monegasque".
Or Le-clerk! The c is silent in French!
@@benoitferland then why does Charles pronounce it that way? Grill the grid 3-4 years ago. Hello, my name is Charles LeCler(k)
@@benoitferland so LeLer?
@@Jakaj99 Le-cler (in French, the "erc" ending sounds like "air" or Le-Clair"
Aston must make sure bring Lance Strool goes to Mercedes and bring Sainz or Perez to Aston Martin team❤
People spam messages, bro spams high quality content💀
People are giving Checo a lot of credit when we are only a few races into the season. He did well enough in the same period last year that he coasted to second in the championship, even as his season imploded.
I will probably retire before SuperFernando. Loyalty to your team is the ultimate compliment. I hope this young driver is successful in his career.
I think Alonso wants to race in 2026, with the rule changes and the Honda power train: it's the last roll of the dice for him to be a title contender, or at very least to grab a win or two before retiring. If the 2026 car goes really well, we might see him a bit longer in the driving seat, otherwise it will pass the wheel to somebody else.
Having Alonso signed up for the future of Aston Martin speaks volumes about the man and what he is going to do for them now and in the foreseeable future now they really need to work on a proper 2 nd seat pairing to take Aston Martin further up the ladder in the championship standings
I’ve been checking my feed for 24hrs, waiting for this video. Lol
‘Sauber is a mid field struggler’ polite way of putting it.
Alonso not winning at least a third world title would be so unfair. Such a generational talent, probably one of the GOATS, if not the GOAT, had it not been for his poor choices at picking teams.
Aston Martin needs to look at now replacing Stroll. It must be so frustrating for that team knowing that they will never meet their potential due to having to keep him. There are so many better options that could work alongside Alonso and drive that team forward. Anyone from Sainz, Albon, Ocon, Gasly and Tsunoda would all be better upgrades. You must also think there must be pressure from Honda to get Tsunoda in that Aston.
3:58 We're just gonna ignore the fact that there's a Lance Stroll poster in the background?
As long as Vowles remains in charge at Williams, I really think they stand the best chance of improving towards the top of the grid. I think Albon suits them quite well, and given that he has shown he is still a bit accident-prone (granted in a car that is probably a bit temperamental to drive), I think he's probably best off sticking with Williams and Vowles. I would hate to see him finally get back into a Red Bull only to have a similar experience to the one he had prior. Besides, if Red Bull were to sign another existing driver, I think Yuki might be a better choice.
The only thing surprising to me about this is Honda not objecting.
Aston and Alonso makes so much sense for F1 and beyond. I would looooove to see him drive that Valkyrie at Le Mans one day.
Frankly don't understand why they keep Stroll if the whole point is to be a title contender. He's just holding them down. Not only because of the quantity of points lost, that translates in money lost in overall race prizes. But also the correlation of data on car development. You end up having Alonso fighting for P5 or P6, sometimes even P4 or a podium and then Stroll fighting for P9 or P10 o not even fighting for points. This makes the data confusing, because in one car you - might - see correlation of the wind tunnel numbers and on the other, not even close. How do you know if an update works if only one driver extracts the max out of it? Of course Alonso is ok with this, he doesn't like strong teammates that "annoy" him during the year. And all he wants is a competitive car to fight for a possible 3rd title. I don't think it bothers him that much which position Aston Martin ends up in the constructors.
I am happy for him and hope he gets a decent last season he should had won more
Gasly, Ocon, Hulk, Magnussen, Zhou, Bottas, Lewis, Checho, Sargent, Ricciardo and Stroll will all be retired and Fernando will still be on the grid as a rookie.
Who else thinks Oliver Bearman would join next year?
I'm hoping so. I think he will replace (indirectly) Zhou. And end in Haas. With Hulk on Sauber.
Sainz is going to williams or Audi after this unless some crazy situation happens for rb to add him since they passed up on alonso.
Alonso makes sure Aston gets results, Stroll makes sure Aston has plenty Aero development time. That real teamwork!
I thought insiders already let slip Perez already resigned weeks ago🤔
As someone who watched Alonso grow and win his 2 championships I look forward to seeing Alonso win another championship. Now can someone tell Lawrence to chuck Lance and bring in Carlos to the team, The Spanish Armada baby!
CARLOS SAINZ TO HAAS! (everyone can dream) pairing with Bearman
it’s a shame Merc doesn’t seem keen on Sainz and Albon. Kinda want Red Bull to steal Norris or Piastri from McLaren.
Is this Matt doing the voiceover?
He is waiting for the Honda engine.
Crazy to think that by the end of the 2024 season, Lance Stroll will have started more F1 races than either Ayrton Senna or Mika Hakkinen
I’m happy for the team and Alonso 🎉
Alonso and Austin Martin are a perfect fit for each other! He should definitely stay with them!
I am happy for Alonso, he seems happy about it and he has a great standing in the team, which is clearly important for him.
Y'all were kinda speaking a bit fast in this one
Fernando's always chased the best teams but it's never really worked out for him I think by staying with Aston, he has a good shot at building a great legacy even if that 3rd WDC doesn't happen
Sainz not getting a top seat would be a crime in sports! I mean he has shown his skills and they match well with Leclerc and if Sainz end up in Williams, Stake or any other lower tier team it will be a huge loss or waste of talent. I think Mercedes could suit Sainz well in terms of a strong team looking for the future. Idk about RB like they would treat him second driver for sure and probably hold him back in favor of Verstappen. Hoping for Sainz in Mercedes. And now when Alonso has signed with AM the choice has to be easier. Also AM has to get rid of Lance Stroll like how long is their patience...
I'd love to see a Sainz and Alonso partnership at Aston Martin powered by Honda.
TBC [Lance Stroll] made me giggles xD
I love watching Alonso race and look forward to seeing more of him but a part of me wishes he'd go back to the IndyCar series so he can get his triple crown
Imagine if drivers were randomly allocated to cars each year. How wild would that be.
if there's nothing else we've learned with the hamilton switch, its that contracts are a work of art - and Alonso might have an escape clause of some kind for 26/27.
The contract ends in 2026. No need for clause
Alonso to Merc or rb was always a long shot. AM may even be the smarter choice compared to Merc rn.
I am missing the positive attitudes of the teams this year. No one seems particularly happy. Half the drivers are likely to move or be replaced next season. I've not encountered a season With this much potential change. Because I'm old I've been liking Alonso once Seb left. Alonso had the team spirit last year. That and some results that were surprising.
Just imagine how seriously we could take AM if Lance wasn’t there. It’d be like a real team on the rise
@therace Where is Mick Schumacher in all of this???😢
He's pish