Fernando Alonso has made it clear he will walk away from Formula 1 if he feels he will not have a chance to compete at the top level.
Most would be winding down their F1 careers as they tick into their early 40s. Not Alonso – the double world champion still has fire in his belly and has embarked on the latest chapter of his lengthy career in the sport, signing for Aston Martin.
The Spaniard chose to leave Alpine for his new employers as they were offering him a longer contract. But it is still a significant risk, leaving the team which finished fourth in the constructors' championship last year for another which is yet to live up to its lofty ambitions.
Owner Lawrence Stroll has always been bullish in his assertions that the team can compete for wins in the future. Recruitment of staff from top teams and a new factory under construction are signs that they are at least preparing to head in the right direction.
Alonso is very confident that he will be able to compete at a level he is happy with at Aston Martin. Otherwise, he has revealed, he wouldn't have bothered putting pen to paper – even if it meant leaving the F1 grid.
"No, I think I will not accept that and I will not continue if I don't believe that we can have a chance," he said. "I don't know if it's a one percent chance or 10 percent, but I will only continue because I believe that we will have a chance.
"Next year to close the gap that Aston Martin has I think it's unrealistic, but we need to put the foundation we need, to put the baseline to future cars and to work better than the people around us.
"This is a very competitive environment, so to become a champion you need to deliver something special. I'm ready to deliver something special from my side and I expect the same from the team."
That comment about this season hints that few fireworks are expected from Aston Martin this year. They finished seventh in 2022 and will have Alfa Romeo in their sights, having scored the same number of points as them overall. Whether they can trouble the likes of McLaren and Alpine higher up the standings remains to be seen.
