The future of Fernando Alonso is the only major cliffhanger left to resolve in the Formula 1 market. The Spanish driver ends his contract with Aston Martin this season, and he still hasn’t clarified whether he will retire or whether he wishes to renew his contract. The green team is waiting, but warns that they are not standing still.
Pedro de la Rosa, Aston Martin’s ambassador and close to Alonso, has warned that the British team already has a plan B ready in case Alonso retires. De la Rosa makes clear at all times that the initial intention is to wait for the Asturian, but they cannot sit idly by without an alternative contingency plan.
The market offers few options for Aston Martin
The Formula 1 transfer market has been resolved in the blink of an eye. Max Verstappen has renewed with Red Bull, Lando Norris has done the same with McLaren, Carlos Sainz will stay at Williams and Lewis Hamilton already announced that he would continue at Ferrari. Only one enigma remains to be solved: Fernando Alonso.
The problem is that while Alonso contemplates his options, Aston Martin is running out of choices should the Asturian depart. So Pedro de la Rosa, the ambassador of Aston Martin, has stepped forward to address the situation with a warning: “We will wait for Alonso, but just in case we have prepared a plan B”.
De la Rosa stated in Madring that “logically, there is a plan B. Every team must always have it, but right now we are working on the plan A, which is that Fernando continues.” The big question is who could be that Aston Martin alternative if Fernando Alonso decides to hang up his helmet unexpectedly.
Looking at the market, the potential free agents who are still somewhat active include names such as Esteban Ocon, Liam Lawson, or Yuki Tsunoda. George Russell had a performance-based renewal clause with Mercedes that hasn’t been updated, but it is assumed to have been fulfilled. In Aston Martin’s academy, neither Jak Crawford nor Mari Boya are the big hope.
So De la Rosa does not want to force the situation either and stresses that “for us it is very important that Alonso continues. It is also true that within the team we know we must give him time and space. We do not want to pressure him into making a decision; we give him all the time he needs,” he concluded.
Perhaps Aston Martin’s dark horse is another Spaniard who already has a contract with Honda and has dominated in his category. A certain Álex Palou.
Images | Formula 1, Aston Martin
