Pedro de la Rosa sensed “halfway through last year” that Fernando Alonso wanted to stay in Formula One, even if Aston Martin was going through a difficult moment at the time.
It was assumed that the two-time Formula 1 champion was nearing the conclusion of his career when he left Alpine for Aston Martin at the end of 2022 on a two-year contract.
New aerodynamic regulations allowed the team to break free, and Alonso finished on the podium six times in the first eight races before the car’s performance began to deteriorate as the team made a mistake in its upgrade development.
Alonso, 42, stated he needed time to make a decision but would not keep the organization waiting. Going into this season, there was discussion about his future and whether he would stay on after this season.
Ultimately, Alonso agreed to a new two-year deal that will keep him playing after he is 45 until the end of 2026.
“It’s just incredible that he wanted to stick with this team for more than a year or two,” Aston Martin spokesman De la Rosa remarked in an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.
“This is the last year, and by that I mean this year ’24, I felt when Fernando came here last year. He never stated as much.
“But immediately, halfway through last year, even during the hard times we faced, you could feel he wanted to continue, and that’s another example of motivation, but also proof of how happy he was in the team.”
Alonso was true to his word
The driver market was ignited when it was revealed that Lewis Hamilton, who only signed a renewed deal midway through the previous year, would be joining Ferrari at the end of this season, owing to a break clause.
Alonso was later said to be considering switches to Red Bull and Mercedes, but he ultimately decided to stick with Aston Martin.
De la Rosa said, “I could tell he wanted to go on.” “He was having fun, so it wasn’t like he stated he wanted to carry on. It was just a personal emotion.
Nonetheless, he always shown honesty towards the team by announcing that he would make a decision by April. He adhered to his commitment even if the driver market changed over that time.
“If there were any other teams with openings or possible seats available, it made no difference to him. “Wait, I will make a decision when I’m ready,” he told the team. I believe it simply demonstrates his strength.”
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