What the Fernando Alonso news means for the rest of the F1 grid

One of the biggest dominoes in the upcoming F1 driver transfer market has fallen.

Now the rest of the F1 world is waiting for the aftermath.

The news that Fernando Alonso will return to Aston Martin beyond 2025 on a new “multi-year” contract coincides with the team’s aggressive approach as it looks to move up the F1 grid. Aston Martin signed Alonso from Alpine for the 2023 season, which turned out to be their most successful campaign in F1 history. The team is also in the midst of major infrastructure improvements at his new three-building factory in Silverstone, including a brand new wind tunnel.

But the Alonso news has implications beyond Silverstone and could be the latest saga in what is shaping up to be a transformative driver transfer season.

In case you missed it, some surprising news has been announced ahead of the 2024 F1 season. Of course, we are referring to Lewis Hamilton’s shocking announcement that he will be leaving Mercedes after the 2024 season and moving to Ferrari from the 2025 season onwards.

Not only does this open up one of the sport’s most coveted spots – a Mercedes seat alongside George Russell – it also leaves Carlos Sainz Jr looking for his own ride for next season. .

How did Sainz react to the news? By proving that perhaps the only thing holding him back could be his appendix. After scoring a podium finish at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz withdrew from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to an emergency appendectomy.

He returned to the grid for the Australian Grand Prix and took his second win in recent seasons. At the following Suzuka, although Sainz was unable to win consecutive races, he finished 3rd and took his third podium.

The grid is set to return to China for the first time since 2019, with Sainz sitting fourth in the drivers’ championship.

It will remain without a seat until 2025.

The ripple effects of Alonso re-signing with Aston Martin in 2025 could spill over towards him. If Aston Martin brings Alonso back beyond 2025, Sainz will have no chance of landing a spot, but barring a shock move for a driver like Verstappen, Lance Stroll will take second place at Aston Martin. Given the fact that he is likely to continue defending, Sainz will need to do the following: Look elsewhere.

Of course, it could be Mercedes. However, if recent reports are to be believed, Toto Wolff has his eye on another price: Verstappen himself. It remains to be seen whether Verstappen will make such a shock move to Mercedes, but German media recently reported that. AMS The Silver Arrows believe they have already agreed internally on the salary required to lure the three-time champion.

Next is Sauber. The organization is scheduled to become Audi’s works team from the 2026 season, and considering the fact that Sainz’s father is a rally driver for Audi and also won the Dakar, even before the Hamilton news came out, Sainz was There were reports linking it to Sauber/Audi. We will gather again in January.

Once the Hamilton news broke, those reports gained momentum.

very interestingly F1TV Analyst Lawrence Barrett hinted at another option for Sainz on Thursday following the Alonso news.

Williams.

Williams is a very interesting concept when you consider the other moving parts on the grid.The team has Alexander Albon Under contract until at least 2025And Albon has made a big move in his absence and is very likely to return to the team with Williams next year. Logan Sargent currently holds the seat next to Albon, with team principal James Vowles likely seeing Sargent taking his big steps on the track this year as the preferred option for 2025. Dew. You could call this their plan A.

But what if you want a plan B?

That option for Williams could be Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 17-year-old genius I’m planning to try my hand at an F1 car for the first time next week.he will be behind the wheel of challenger Mercedes’ W12 for the 2021 season in Austria.

Mercedes may see Antonelli as a long-term option for Hamilton’s seat, but expect this prodigy to make the leap to F1 after just one season in F2, and to Mercedes at this point. Maybe my expectations are too high. Antonelli could therefore be an option at Williams, similar to the path taken by George Russell and other drivers in the Mercedes program.

This could potentially close another door for Sainz.

Perhaps Williams sees Sainz as their Plan B. Barrett is certainly very involved in the F1 world, and if something is being discussed around the paddock, there’s a good chance it will reach his radar, or more accurately his mobile phone. Linking Sainz to Williams is certainly an interesting development, but some may think Sainz is more likely to go to Mercedes and Antonelli to Williams for the time being.

Still, one would think that with a driver of his caliber, and his starting ability, he would have no problem finding a spot next year. Maybe Sainz’s return to Red Bull is being planned, just as Barrett is being floated. Of course, for that to happen Red Bull would have to decide to move on from Sergio Perez, but Sergio Perez has made a strong start and has earned praise from Dr. Helmut Marko, a critical voice within the Red Bull stable. voices are rising. So perhaps Red Bull can likewise hold out with its current Verstappen/Perez combination into 2025 and beyond.

Again, going back to Sauber/Audi as an option for Sainz.

The ongoing game of driver movement is full of twists and turns.

But Alonso’s decision on Thursday is just the latest move that will have ripple effects across the sport.