This according to a report by Auto Motor und Sport. Vettel announced last Thursday that this season would be his last in Formula 1, a decision that surprised many in the paddock. It was also thought to have caught Aston Martin by surprise as team boss Mike Krack said they did not have a ‘Plan B’ in mind if Vettel chose not to continue. But according to Tobias Gruner of AMuS, Aston Martin urged Vettel to make a quick decision with this Plan B in mind. According to the respected F1 journalist, the “negotiations between the team and the driver [Alonso] apparently took place in the last few weeks.” Keen to secure the Spaniard’s signature ahead of Alpine, seeking to sweeten his one-year bid with a future run at Le Mans, Aston Martin pressed Vettel to make a decision before Formula 1 goes on its summer break. “That’s why Aston Martin recently approached Vettel with a request to make a decision on his future before the summer break,” Gruner said. The rest, as they say, is history. “Team owner Laurens Stroll met Alonso at the Aston Martin motorhome in Hungary on Saturday,” he continued, “where the new contract was apparently sealed.” Makes you think 😄 #F1 pic.twitter.com/ms7o5Alwot — PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) August 1, 2022 Aston Martin confirmed Alonso’s signing early on Monday morning, a decision that appears to ignore Alpine. Alonso and CEO Laurent Rossi are said to have had a disagreement over the length of the extension, with the Spaniard wanting two years and an option for a third, while Rossi only wanted to give him one to make way for Oscar Piastri . come 2024. According to The Race’s Edd Straw, Alpine believed they held all the cards in their negotiations with Alonso – until they didn’t. “But,” he said. “Vettel’s retirement reshaped the chessboard. Suddenly, Alonso had a viable alternative. “Yes, someone who potentially has an even longer timetable for victory that may not be entirely compatible with the fall that will await even a competitor as formidable as Alonso, but he can pay well, appreciate him as he expects in terms of his contribution. and it is – or at least should be – on an odyssey at the front of F1. “Alonso would certainly have taken the long-term deal with Alpine if it had been offered to him. It is understood there were others in the team in senior positions who felt it was the right move. “But Rossi remained firm, either on the condition that Alonso would accept or he didn’t care if he didn’t on the basis that no driver is bigger than the team. Any of these would be intolerable for Alonso. “This is the result.”
