Yahoo Autos Fernando Alonso Will Take Sebastian Vettel's F1 Seat at Aston Martin in 2023
Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso will join Aston Martin in 2023, the first year of what will be a multi-year deal to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, the team announced online Monday.
Alonso will join Aston Martin after two consecutive years with Alpine, ending his third stint at the team that had at two other points been Renault. In those seasons, the 41-year-old Alonso has secured a single podium.
Although he was out of Formula 1 in 2019 and 2020, Alonso has been competing in top-level motorsports at some level or another since 2001. In that time, he's racked up two F1 titles, 32 grand prix wins, three attempts at the Indianapolis 500, and two overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, he has not won a Formula 1 grand prix since the 2013 season and has finished on the podium just once since the 2014 season.
The decision indicates that Alonso plans to significantly extend his career. Not only has he chosen to replace a retiring four-time champion that is six years younger at Aston Martin, but he has also chosen to replace a driver that joined the series the year after Alonso's second title and became the youngest winner in series history a year later.
While Alpine has not yet announced its plans for 2023, Alonso's move opens up a potential seat for celebrated prospect and 2021 Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri. The current Alpine reserve driver was unable to secure a ride for the 2022 F1 season, so he has spent the year waiting for an opportunity to open up on the grid.
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