Fernando Alonso will head to Aston Martin next year. From 2023, the Asturian will change the blue of Alpine for the green of the British team with the complicated objective of winning again or fighting for victories again. It was an operation that surprised even his own boss, Otmar Szafnauer, who has now spoken in an exclusive interview for “The Confidential”.
“I’m not completely surprised… but this is the first time something like this has happened to me. I’ve been through other stories and situations, but in my case, never something like that”, Summarizes Romanian.
He explains: “This is capitalism at its best. Until everything is signed, nothing is certain.”
“We spoke a lot with Alonso. We wanted him to stay. He had his conversations with Aston Martin…and the contract details that offered would be more appealing to him,” Szafnauer related.
“Alonso wanted a long-term commitment”
Alonso’s boss is still trying to figure out what happened and is relatively sympathetic to Alonso: “A long-term commitment was important to him. Ours was a plus one. I told him that if he continued to perform at this level, we would continue. crazy not to.”
“But age affects your abilities, your eyes, your brain. Schumacher, 42, was beaten by Rosberg. At 38, that wouldn’t have happened, and it happens to all of us. He wanted guarantees of more time, but we thought that with Alonso it was a year, plus a year, plus a year”, he explains.
Additionally, and since being boss of Aston Martin in 2021 and Racing Point in 2020, Sfaznauer has confirmed that It’s not the first time there have been conversations with Alonso and the mark of Lawrence Stroll.
“I was at Aston Martin last year and I can tell that he has already spoken to them. Two really too many,” he said.
“Shared information? I wouldn’t be surprised”
He also spoke of an alleged “agreement” between Alonso, Webber (Piastri’s representative) and Briatore for everything to go as he did: “If someone says he has proof of meshared information I wouldn’t be surprised either.”
“In F1, you have to act as if everyone knows everything. That there are no secrets. It’s been like this for 25 years.” Szafnauer dice.
“He told me he was going to a Greek island…”
Finally, the “famous” and non-existent boat trip to Greece by Fernando Alonso: “He told me that he I was going to a Greek island on a boat, but not to go with him. I called him in the morning and couldn’t reach him. That’s what he told me.”