"He can still drive fast" - Fernando Alonso's move to Aston Martin a 'chance' for him to 'prove himself again,' says former F1 driver

Former F1 driver Hans-Joachim Hunt has given his approval for Fernando Alonso's move to Aston Martin. The former F1 driver admitted that he was surprised by the Spaniard's decision to move, but that in the end, he understood that this gave Alonso the opportunity to bring a team forward once again. Speaking to Eurosport.de, Hans said:

"It surprises me. Alonso also deserved a winning car. On the other hand, it's a chance for him to prove himself again. He has shown this season that he can still drive fast. Bringing a team forward again could be an attractive task."

According to Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack the prospect of working with Fernando Alonso has excited the engineers back in Silverstone. He said:

"I have witnessed the excitement in the engineering team and throughout the whole organisation at the opportunity to work with Fernando. We know that nearly everyone can learn from someone of Fernando's calibre and experience. We are confident that he will inspire everyone to lift their game, and that will only enhance the already infectious energy that exists within the team."

Krack also affirmed his belief that Fernando Alonso could help the team accelerate its progress towards the front of the grid. He said:

"We are on a journey to create a winning organisation, and it is clear that Fernando will accelerate our progress and bring us to a performance in which we can take pride. We are delighted to have Fernando and Lance as our driver line-up next year - the combination of experience and youth will be incredibly strong and both drivers look forward to competing and working together."

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Fernando Alonso's reasoning behind joining Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso was also quite complimentary of the amount of investment Aston Martin had been bringing to the team. In a press release during his signing, Fernando Alonso talked about how Aston Martin had become a favorable destination for quite a few "great people with winning pedigrees." He said:

"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 One today. I have known Lawrence and Lance [Stroll] for many years and it is very obvious that they have the ambition and passion to succeed in Formula One."

He added:

"I have watched as the team has systematically attracted great people with winning pedigrees, and I have become aware of the huge commitment to new facilities and resources at Silverstone. No one in Formula One today is demonstrating a greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me."

Alonso signing for the team was a bit of a shock to everyone on the grid, especially since he is making a move from a team that is fourth in the championship to a team that is ninth in the championship. Whether the move will work out or not is up for debate, but one thing that this move has done is that it has made the silly season a lot more interesting.