August 1, 2022. While many Spaniards take the road and blanket to start their vacations in the middle of the exit operation and many others return with post-vacation syndrome on their backs, Aston Martin dynamited the world of Formula 1.
Confirmed the withdrawal of Sebastian Vettel at the end of the season, the Silverstone team confirmed to Fernando Alonso as the substitute for the four-time champion.
Thus, the Asturian left behind two seasons of more shadows than lights in Alpine… but with the uneasiness of whether what was to come in what was then the seventh car on the grid it was more rosy than what he was experiencing with the Enstones.
Now, eight months later and after getting on the podium in four of the first five races of the season, the two-time champion has admitted that he did not have everything with him when he signed for Aston Martin.
“I didn’t trust 100% everything the teams tell you in August“, he has acknowledged in statements to ‘Sky Sports’.
However, there was a man who “invited” him to throw himself headlong into the project of Lawrence Stroll: Flavio Briatore, his boss at the time of the two World Cups with Renault.
“Flavio was quite interested in the Aston Martin project. I think he saw the investment, he saw Lawrence’s vision that, obviously, he is a very important leader in the team, and if Lawrence has a goal, he will achieve it,” Fernando explained.
The ’14’ has blind faith in the Canadian: “And in the end he will achieve it. It may take him two, five or seven years, but he will achieve it, and I think Flavio was betting very strongly on the Aston Martin project.”
His history with Lawrence comes from the days of Ferrari… and that invites optimism: “We have known each other for 12 years, when Lance was just a kid in karting and I like that”.
