"Michael Schumacher, at 42 years old, was not the same driver as at 35"- Here's why Fernando Alonso didn't receive a multi-year contract from Alpine

Fernando Alonso's decision to join Aston Martin on a multi-year contract for the 2023 F1 season shocked his current employers at Alpine. Now, team principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed the possible reason for the Spaniard jumping ship one day into the summer break.

Alonso returned to F1 with the Anglo-French outfit in 2021 and was in conversation for a possible extension. In an interview carried by as.com, Szafnauer also admitted that the two-time world champion had assured him that he had not signed with any other team at the end of the 2022 F1 Hungarian GP.

A day later, Fernando Alonso's announcement that he was replacing the outgoing Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin broke the F1 internet while leaving Alpine red-faced. According to Szafnauer, one of the main reasons could have been the team's reluctance to offer a longer contract to the veteran. When asked to elaborate, he said:

“We offered him a one-year contract plus one. It’s difficult to predict the future. I always say that if I could, I wouldn’t be here, I would be in Las Vegas. We discussed that if he was still at this level next year, of course we would have him, but he wanted more certainty, regardless of performance, he wanted to stay longer. That’s why one plus one; instead of two plus one or three plus one. There comes a time when, physiologically, you don’t have the same ability as when you are young. It’s fair to say that Michael Schumacher, at 42, was not the same driver as he was at 35.”

Szafnauer used the analogy of another sport to drive his point home, adding:

“Cricket is not a very physical sport, it’s also coordination, millimeters, and after the age of 34, the best player no longer scores a point. Something is wrong with him. It’s the same with racing drivers. If he was at the highest level, of course we wanted to continue, but year by year. And I think he wanted more time.”

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Fernando Alonso still misses 'winning' and 'fighting for podiums' despite being proud of his F1 comeback

Fernando Alonso has admitted that he misses fighting for wins against the top F1 teams but is very proud of his comeback to the sport.

The two-time world champion's last win in F1 was almost a decade ago at the 2013 Spanish GP with Ferrari. Ever since he departed from the Scuderia at the end of 2014, Alonso has been on the podium at an F1 race just once, at the 2021 Qatar GP.

Speaking in an interview with motorsport.com, the veteran Spaniard said:

“I miss winning, and I miss the feeling of fighting for podiums and bigger things, yes. But, at the same time, I’m enjoying also, because it’s a race against yourself in a way and trying to be a better version of myself, than what I was in 2019.”

Fernando Alonso believes he has been able to take things up a notch in his sophomore season with Alpine. He added, saying:

“I think last year, I was performing at a decent level. Okay, not at my 100% I will say, and this year I feel at my 100%. I feel that I can put some performances that maybe are not expected, and that kind of thing has been always my strength all over my career. I feel that I’m back to that level, so that probably makes me very proud of this comeback.”

It remains to be seen how competitive Alonso will be when he joins Aston Martin in 2023. The Silverstone-based team has the financial backing and has recruited personnel from other F1 teams on the grid to try and become a top-level contender. Only time will tell if the addition of Fernando Alonso will take them forward in that quest or not.