"That stuck with me": Fernando Alonso reveals Lawrence Stroll’s discussion that persuaded him to ditch Alpine for Aston Martin

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has given an insight into a serious meeting with Aston Marion CEO Lawrence Stroll before joining the team. Alonso said the meeting has stuck with him.

Stroll approached the Spaniard for the seat in 2022 before choosing to continue with Sebastian Vettel for the season. Alonso then decided to extend with Alpine but joined the iconic British brand after Vettel announced his retirement last year.

In his interview with Aston Martin sponsor Bang & Olufsen, he said:

“Many think that everything was forged in a few minutes, on that sour weekend in Hungary, but no, it was not like that. With Lawrence, I had a very serious meeting already, in the Netherlands, in 2021, before renewing for 2022 with Alpine.

“At that meeting, I remember very well that he warned me, telling me that I had one more year to think about it, but no more, he himself knew that in 2022 they might not be very competitive, but that by 2024-2025, they were going to be in the fight. That stuck with me.

"Also, coming from Lawrence, you know it's true, Lawrence doesn't lie to you, he's direct, and that's always good, both in his goals and in the harsh reality. That stuck with me, and in fact, he reminded me of it in the call I had with him, during the 2022 Hungarian GP.”

“It is difficult to choose one because they were all great rivals" - Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso stated that it is difficult for him to choose his biggest rivals as there are many talented drivers he has raced against. However, he picked seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher as his toughest competition in F1.

He said:

“It is difficult to choose one because they were all great rivals and very talented drivers as well. “When I came to this sport, Michael Schumacher was dominating the races and everything, probably that fight with him would still be the one I would choose. Fighting against Michael was very special, so I would say that.”

Former world champion Damon Hill on the F1 Nation podcast added that Fernando Alonso has many similar attributes to Schumacher, stating:

“He’s invested in this, he understands it, and he knows, like Michael Schumacher as well. Michael Schumacher understood where the openings were, where the opportunities were, and he took advantage of those, and it’s the same with Fernando.”

Fernando Alonso had some iconic moments with the German driver, so it came as no surprise that he chose Schumacher as his toughest rival.