Fernando Alonso has extended his Alpine contract through to the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
The Spaniard, who turned 40 at the end of July, returned to F1 at the beginning of this season after two years away from the sport.
He joins teammate Esteban Ocon in extending his contract, the 24-year-old Frenchman signing a three-year deal before the French Grand Prix in June.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said that “Fernando has impressed us all since he returned to the sport at the beginning of this year. His dedication, teamwork and focus to extract the maximum from the team is incredible to be a part of and certainly special to witness.”
“I am convinced we can benefit strongly from Fernando’s insight and experience as we enter the final development and optimization phase of the 2022 chassis and power unit. He is just as hungry as we are for success and is putting in every effort to translate it to performance.”
Formerly known as Renault, this is Alonso’s third stint with the team he won both of his world titles, driving for Renault between 2003 and 2006 and then again between 2008 and 2009.
The Spaniard added that “I’m very happy to confirm the contract extension with Alpine F1 team into 2022. I felt at home the moment I returned to this team and have been welcomed back with open arms.”
After a slow start to this season, not helped by the disruption to his preseason after Alonso fractured his jaw in February, the Spaniard has shown he is still one of the fastest drivers on the grid, scoring points in every race since round six in Baku.
Alonso was also crucial to Ocon’s win in Hungary before the summer break, masterfully holding off a charging Lewis Hamilton for 10 laps despite being on older and harder tyres.
With new regulations coming in for the 2022 season, the hope for Alonso and Alpine is that the field becomes more even, giving both the chance to compete for podiums and race victories on a regular basis.
F1 returns from its summer break this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Free Practice 1 beginning tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. BST.
Featured image by Christopher Down – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0; no changes made.
