On expected lines, former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has extended his contract at Alpine for the 2022 season. Alonso has an insatiable desire to win one more world title having been the man who dethroned the great Michael Schumacher in his early 20s in 2005 and 2006. Alonso, now 40, has again proven why he is considered one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time performing still at his peak. He returned to F1 in 2021 after taking a break of two years where he won Le Mans twice and even competed in the Indy 500 and the Dakar rally where he finished P5.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi had hinted that Alonso's contract would be extended considering he was more or less back to his best. In the last race in Hungary, Alonso's defensive skills were at the fore when he thwarted his former teammate Lewis Hamilton for more than 10 laps in a slower car with older tyres which was instrumental in his teammate Esteban Ocon winning his maiden race. Alonso also showed his incredible race craft in Silverstone where he jumped the grid in the sprint race.
Alonso has been mesmerising in his return to Alpine
"We are very pleased to confirm Fernando for next season, partnering with Esteban. For us it is a perfect driver line-up, amongst the strongest on the grid. It works in a hugely complementary way, with both offering raw talent and speed, yet impeccable team spirit that delivered our first win in Hungary. Fernando has impressed us all since he returned to the sport at the beginning of this year. His dedication, teamwork and focus to extract the maximum from the team is incredible to be a part of and certainly special to witness. His performance in Hungary was another example of his racing pedigree and reminded everyone how skilled a driver he is," said Laurent Rossi, the CEO of Alpine.
"I am convinced we can benefit strongly from Fernando's insight and experience as we enter the final development and optimization phase of the 2022 chassis and power unit. He is just as hungry as we are for success and is putting in every effort to translate it to performance. For now, however, we need to focus on delivering a strong second half of the year, extract the maximum at every race and ensure we finish as high up in the constructors' standings as possible. This will put us in a golden position for next year and the significant opportunity it brings," Rossi added.
Fernando Alonso won his first two titles with the same team that's now Alpine
Alonso is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid with 322 race starts and 32 wins which include his two world titles. He has been a runner up for the world title 2 times in 2010 and 2012 with Ferrari and was P3 in 2007 with equal points as P2 Lewis Hamilton when they were paired together at McLaren. Alonso won his first two titles with the Renault team which rebranded to Alpine earlier in the year. His return to the very same team after 11 years is like a home coming for the Spaniard.
"I'm very happy to confirm the contract extension with Alpine F1 Team into 2022. I felt at home the moment I returned to this team and have been welcomed back with open arms. It is a pleasure to work again with some of the brightest minds in our sport at Enstone and Viry-Châtillon. It's been a tricky season for everyone, but we've shown progress as a team and the result in Hungary serves as a good example of this progression. We're targeting more positive memories for the rest of this season but also crucially from next year onwards with the new regulation changes coming into Formula 1. I have been a big supporter of the need for a level playing field and change in the sport and the 2022 season will be a great opportunity for that. I am looking forward to the rest of this year and racing alongside Esteban in 2022 for Alpine," said Fernando Alonso.
