F1 News: Fernando Alonso Reveals Why He Left Alpine - "More Ambition With Aston Martin"

Fernando Alonso quitting Alpine for Aston Martin could be one of the best decisions he's ever made.

After a two-year journey with the team where he battled to just score points, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso reveals the reason he left Alpine after the 2022 season. This year though, things changed for good when he joined Aston Martin and scored seven podiums already. 

Sitting in the third spot on the drivers' standings, Fernando took a huge leap from last year, to be in a car that also went through multiple changes since last season. Fortunately for him and Aston Martin, the AMR23- Alonso combination worked such wonders that it challenged Red Bull's Sergio Perez on several occasions, especially in the early stages of the season. 

Being in a position that one can call 'secure,' Alonso reveals the reasons that caused the switch to Aston Martin. He spoke in the El Larguero podcast:

"The first, that Vettel retired. The second, that Alpine had been negotiating for several months and nothing was ever finalized, we agreed on everything, but the paper did not arrive, I noticed a bit of lack of professionalism.

"At Aston we had everything clear on Saturday after Vettel's announcement on Thursday, the role on the table. That desire to have me seduced me. It was an adventure, there was risk, but it turned out well and the hunch worked this time. There were a few hours with the two offers on the table, but I saw more ambition in Aston Martin.”

Despite his last win in 2013 and announcing retirement from F1 in 2018, only to return in 2021, Fernando Alonso proves that he still has the zeal to move up the ladder rather than remain inside a safe comfort zone. After all, at age 42, it is quite rare to witness an F1 driver frequent the podium.

There are high chances of the Spanish driver experiencing his 33rd victory, but that is if Aston Martin ups the ante in 2024 with their new car. Alonso also revealed that he is indeed having a good time being competitive after a long break. He said:

“I'm enjoying it and that's the most important thing. When I returned to F1, I had the desire to be competitive again, to fight for victories and podiums, which I had not done in my last years before the break, and now I am enjoying it to the fullest.

"I would love to be on the podium of the year."