It’s “no secret” Aston Martin want to re-sign Fernando Alonso for the 2025 season, if not longer, but Mike Krack admits first the Spaniard has to decide if he wants to continue in Formula 1.
At 42 years of age, Alonso is the oldest driver on the Formula 1 grid but he shows no sign of slowing down with his passion for the sport re-ignited by last year’s incredible season with Aston Martin, who he joined from Alpine.
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Securing eight podiums, three of which were runner-up results, he finished the season up in fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship, which marked his best showing since his P2 with Ferrari a decade earlier.
Today, though, he admits he’s yet to decide if he wants to continue in Formula 1 for another year or even longer.
Aston Martin team boss Krack says it’s “no secret” his driver is debating his future amidst rumours he could even take Lewis Hamilton’s soon-to-be-vacant seat at Mercedes. However, Krack is determined to hold onto his star driver.
“It’s no secret that he first of all wants to decide for himself what he wants to do. And I think it’s also no secret that I keep saying that we want to continue working with Fernando.
“I have also said the most important thing is that we give him a quick car, so that he believes in this project, and that he believes in this team, and everything else we will discuss over the weeks to come.
“Now, it is clear a driver of his calibre is attractive for everybody, that’s clear, but we will try to keep him.”
But for Krack it’s more than just Alonso’s ability on the track that is behind his desire to re-sign the double World Champion.
“It’s not only what he brings in terms of driving talent and race craft that we don’t have to discuss, but he brings this extra to the team,” he said.
“Driving and pushing and motivating everybody, and leading by example from the first moment in the morning to late at night. It is exemplary.
“And this is something that is infecting the whole team, that is something that you want to preserve.”
However, should Alonso opt to either quit Formula or join another team next season, Krack was asked if he’d be interested in signing Max Verstappen.
“As far as I know, Max has a contract,” he said.
But pressed on if he didn’t a deal with Red Bull, Krack said: “If I say yes, then you say and what about if Lewis was available? Or what if he was available? No, let’s keep our feet on the ground step by step.”
As for his side, Alonso has made it clear that Aston Martin is his “first priority” but only after he has made the decision about whether he wants to continue or not.
“First of all, I need to decide myself what I want to do for the future,” he said when asked about what he’d like to do next season.
“If I want to commit my life, again, for a few more years to this sport, which I love.
“This is a decision that I need to do with myself, I need to think and I need to commit to a team eventually, and make sure that I understand that the next few years of my life, it will be that team and 100 percent of my time.”
But having said Aston Martin is his “first priority”, he added: “If we cannot reach an agreement and I want to commit to race in Formula 1, I know that I have a privileged position.
“I’m probably attractive to other teams, the performance that they saw last year, the commitment, and as I said, you know there are only three World Champions on the grid. And there is only one available.”
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