Aston Martin have moved swiftly to announce a replacement for Sebastian Vettel, swapping one world champion for another with Fernando Alonso agreeing to join the team in 2023 on a multi-year deal.
Fernando returned to Formula 1 in 2021 with Alpine after a two-year “sabbatical” and has delivered a string of impressive drives alongside Esteban Ocon.
But when Vettel announced last August that he was retiring at the end of the season, Alonso emerged as a favourite to replace him given his wealth of F1 experience that includes two World Championships. “This Aston Martin team is clearly applying the energy and commitment to win, and it is therefore one of the most exciting teams in Formula 1 today,” said Alonso, who scored the last of 32 race wins back in 2013.
Oscar Piastri is officially a McLaren F1 driver. After all the contract drama with Alpine, McLaren confirmed Piastri on a multi-year deal. Piastri has a magnificent career for his 21 years and in 2021 he won the Formula 2 world. “I’m extremely excited to be making my F1 debut with such a prestigious team as McLaren and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that’s been offered to me.”, Piastri explained.
Pierre Gasly will form an all-French line-up with Ocon at Alpine Team from the 2023 season after signing a multi-year deal. Pierre has been keen to secure a drive with a works squad having rebuilt his reputation at AlphaTauri following demotion from the Red Bull works squad in 2019. “I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career,” explained Gasly, a one-time Grand Prix winner.
Santiago de la Peña
