The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move

A few races ago, Fernando Alonso remarked that doing the ‘unexpected’ was the one thing that he loved the most in Formula 1. In the wake of the buzz surrounding his front-row start in Canada and an uplift in his performance on track, he said he was revelling in his comeback.

“I think last year, I was performing at a decent level,” he smiled as we spoke at the Austrian GP about the verdict on his current form. “[It was] okay, but not at my 100% I will say. This year, I feel at my 100%. I feel that I can put in some performances that maybe are not expected and that kind of thing has been always my strength all over my career.”

Those words proved quite fitting this week when Alonso delivered what has been perhaps the most unexpected F1 driver move we have had for quite some time, as it was revealed he would be joining Aston Martin next year. His bombshell announcement, which even his current Alpine team knew nothing about until the press release landed at 9am UK time on Monday, immediately prompted a wave of questions about just why was jumping ship from a team on the up as best-of-the-rest behind the top three, to one that was regularly getting knocked out of Q1.

But to see Alonso’s move in the pure terms of the competitive fortunes of Team Enstone versus Team Silverstone right now is not to understand what makes the double world champion tick. For there are several key personality traits that the Spaniard has shown throughout his career that have come to the fore again to make the switch to Aston Martin much more understandable. He is a driver who wants to be loved, respected and feel that those around him are 100% supporting him all the time.

From the accusations when winning his second world title for Renault that he felt ‘lonely’ at times because he wasn’t getting the focus he wanted; to the falling apart of relations with Ron Dennis at McLaren in 2007 when he wouldn’t be made number one, time and again through his career, Alonso has never liked it when he had suspicions of not being the chosen one.

Alonso wasn't offered an F1 deal that he was after from the Alpine management

Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images

At Alpine, he has been up against a tough team-mate in Esteban Ocon, but perhaps weighing more on his mind when it came to gauging the commitment of his team was how they felt about dealing with the Oscar Piastri situation. Alpine’s reluctance to give Alonso the length of contract that he wanted – because it feared that age could decline him and Piastri would need slotting in at some point – perhaps left him with the feeling that he didn’t have the team’s absolute commitment.

More: What Alonso’s Alpine exit means for the rest of the F1 driver market

He wanted a firm two or three years locked down. Alpine wanted a one plus one, which was the compromise that was on the table in the end. But you could sense that it was clear Alonso did not concur with his management that there should be doubts about his future performances because he was now in his forties.

In perhaps a pointed reference to his age last weekend, Alonso said: “I feel very fresh.

Alonso has never been happier than when he is the centre of the universe in F1, and anyone and everyone is talking about him. This week has proved he still has the magic touch to be able to do that

“Reactions are as sharp as ever. It was a very physical race [in France] and we talked after the race, and I was ready to do another three or four grands prix. There are signs in your body that you are the first one to raise the hand and say, ‘you know, this is a little bit too much for me. It has been never my case in the car. I feel always very good.”

For someone who perhaps feels that those around him either back him 100% or they are against him, then the issue of age over the length of his deal would not have sat brilliantly.

Alonso equally likes being master of his own destiny. So when Alpine’s bosses were talking about him being a key player in its future LMDh programme, that also did not sit too well for someone who is revelling in the current F1. Asked last weekend about the interest in a sportscar switch, he said: “Not in the short term. I feel that I'm fresh here and I'm very motivated.

Alonso will take Vettel's place at Aston Martin after the four-time F1 world champion announced he will retire at the end of 2022

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“I'm looking forward so much into next year, for example, what the second year of these rules will bring. We race in Las Vegas, we race maybe in South Africa soon. I don't know: all these things, they are really very appealing. And I feel very fast this year. Now, even thinking about sportscar or Indy or whatever it is, is like not now. My head completely removed it and stays focused on F1. So that's it.”

When you throw all these factors together of needing to be loved, needing a challenge, wanting to stay in F1 for the long haul, and offering the chance to confound the critics, it is little wonder that with Aston Martin and Lawrence Stroll laying out the red carpet for him; offering him the long-term commitment and the financial package he wanted, that he made the call and jumped. Above all else, Alonso has never been happier than when he is the centre of the universe in F1, and anyone and everyone is talking about him. This week has proved he still has the magic touch to be able to do that.

More: How Aston Martin pulled off its shock Alonso F1 deal

You can imagine Alonso right now has got a huge grin on his face knowing that, as Alpine scrambles to find his replacement and chart its way through a bit of a contractual mess it may have got in with Piastri, that the Spaniard quite enjoys the chaos being caused by keeping his phone on mute because it’s the summer holidays.

You wouldn’t really expect anything else.

Alonso has triggered the latest F1 storm with his Aston Martin move

Photo by: Motorsport Images