BELGIUM: In a stunning turn of events, Fernando Alonso, the Spanish racing legend, has fired back at his former team boss, Otmar Szafnauer, after his switch from Alpine to Aston Martin for the 2023 Formula 1 season.
Astonishingly, Alonso finds it “incredible” that Szafnauer continues to talk proudly about their parting of ways despite the massive gap in performance between the two teams.
Alonso, who returned to Formula 1 with Alpine in 2021, expressed his discontent with the slow pace of contract negotiations before his eventual departure. Szafnauer cited Alonso’s age as a reason for not offering a multi-year extension, which prompted the move to bring in Pierre Gasly as Alonso’s replacement.
However, the tables have turned dramatically since then. Aston Martin has transformed from a lower midfield team to a serious contender for the “best of the rest” position, right behind the dominant Red Bull team in the 2023 F1 season. Alonso’s new team has already achieved six podium finishes, a remarkable feat.
In contrast, Szafnauer’s fortunes have taken a sharp downturn. Following Aston Martin’s impressive performance, he was let go along with veteran sporting director Alan Permane after the Belgian Grand Prix.
Alpine, under his leadership, sits only in P6 in the Constructors’ standings, failing to match the progress made by rivals Aston Martin and McLaren.
Before the official confirmation of Szafnauer’s sacking, Alonso emphasized that the vast difference in performance between the teams should silence any talk about their parting.
He admitted that he took the doubts about his age and performance personally, using them as motivation to showcase that, at 42, he is still at the pinnacle of his driving abilities.
Alonso firmly believes that the results achieved at Aston Martin speak for themselves, reinforcing the notion that Alpine grossly underestimated his value to the team. He currently sits at an impressive P3 in the F1 2023 Drivers’ Championship, with Aston Martin occupying the same position in the Constructors’ standings.
As the F1 season progresses, Alonso’s remarkable resurgence with Aston Martin serves as a testament to his talent and determination.
The Spaniard’s spectacular performances have proven Szafnauer’s doubts wrong, and the former Alpine boss’s pride in the decision to let Alonso go now seems misplaced.
With his eyes set on more podium finishes and a potential championship challenge, Alonso’s resurgence is one of the standout stories of the 2023 season.
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