F1 News: Aston Martin Reveals Fernando Alonso's "Old Fox" Capabilities That Go Beyond Racing
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has revealed Fernando Alonso's qualities that set him apart as a racing driver. More like an old fox, the Spaniard not only brings to the team enough speed, but a host of other things through his 20+ years of experience in Formula 1. Thus, the team boss revealed his intent to retain the 42-year-old driver in the outfit for the future.
Key Takeaways:
- Aston Martin's Krack lauds Fernando Alonso's experience and strategic acumen in Formula 1, expressing the team's interest in retaining him.
- Alonso contemplates his future with Aston Martin as his contract nears its end in 2024, marking a crucial juncture in his career.
- Krack highlights Alonso's adept race management in Jeddah, showcasing his value to the team. Aston Martin hopes to keep Alonso onboard for future seasons, pending his decision to continue in Formula 1.
Approaching the end of his contract with Aston Martin at the end of the 2024 season, Alonso faces his final year with the team. The driver recently disclosed that he stands at a crossroads, contemplating his future in the sport earnestly.
Krack, who is keen on working with Alonso in the future, described the all-rounder qualities and values the Spaniard brought to the team last year after replacing Sebastian Vettel. Speaking to the media, he stated:
“We've seen that last year already when he joined.
“It's not only what he brings in terms of proven talent and racecraft; that, I think, we don't have to discuss. He brings this extra to the team, driving and pushing and motivating everybody. And leading by example, from the first moment in the morning to late at night, which is exemplary.
“And this is something that is infecting the whole team, that is something that you want to preserve.”
Alonso's skill in keeping Russell behind during the race in Jeddah was also commended by Krack, highlighting his effective strategy of preventing the Mercedes driver from utilizing DRS for numerous laps. He added:
“It was quite strong.
“We knew George was behind, he had good speed, and we did not want to let him into the DRS. So it was all the time between 1.5 and 1.0 seconds in between them.
“And then it is always how much do I manage, and how much do I push to get to the end? But I think he managed it like probably nobody else can. I don't know where he got the gaps from. In my opinion he was always on top of the situation.”
Aston Martin Press Image
Highlighting his "old fox" quality when Alonso communicated to his team about the strategy without letting rival teams know, Krack added:
“He asked for the Plan B, basically. ‘Is there a Plan B?’
“Fernando is always teasing you, you have to be careful if he's really honest about it, because he knows all the strategies before, he knows where all the field is. And sometimes he maybe does it even on purpose, because he knows the competitors are listening. So he's an old fox.
“But he always wakes us up. As soon as you think for one lap you can read it, there comes a radio call, and he says, ‘What about Plan B?’, like Fernando always does. So we then had a look at the Plan B, but you will not finish where you finish with Plan B.”
Thus, considering what Alonso brings to the table, Aston Martin is keen on keeping him for 2025 and maybe even beyond, but only after he decides to continue racing in F1. Krack explained:
“It's not a secret that he first of all wants to decide for himself what he wants to do.
“And I think it's also not a secret that I keep saying that we want to continue working with Fernando.
“And I also said that the most important thing is that we give him a quick car. So that he believes in this project, and that he believes in this team, and everything else we will have to discuss over the weeks to come.
“Now, it is clear that a driver of that calibre is attractive for everybody, but we will try to keep him.”