What the Fernando Alonso information means for the remainder of the F1 grid

One of many greatest dominoes within the upcoming Components 1 driver switch market has fallen.

Now the remainder of the F1 world awaits the fallout.

The information that Fernando Alonso is returning to Aston Martin for 2025 and past, on a brand new “multi-year” deal, suits with the staff’s aggressive method at shifting up the F1 grid. Aston Martin signed Alonso away from Alpine for the 2023 season, and that marketing campaign was their most profitable of their F1 historical past. The staff can also be in the midst of a large infrastructure overhaul, a brand new three-building manufacturing unit in Silverstone that features a brand-new wind tunnel.

However the Alonso information has ramifications past Silverstone, and often is the newest saga in what’s shaping as much as be a transformative driver switch season.

In case you missed it, some gorgeous information dropped forward of the 2024 F1 season. In fact, that refers back to the stunning announcement that Lewis Hamilton can be leaving Mercedes following the 2024 marketing campaign, making the transfer to Ferrari for the 2025 season and past.

Not solely did that open up one of the crucial coveted spots within the sport — a seat at Mercedes alongside George Russell — but it surely left Carlos Sainz Jr. in search of a experience of his personal for subsequent season.

How did Sainz reply to the information? By demonstrating that maybe the one factor holding him again is likely to be his appendix. After delivering a podium end within the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix because of an emergency appendectomy.

He got here again to the grid for the Australian Grand Prix, scoring his second win in as many seasons. Then got here Suzuka, and whereas Sainz couldn’t rating back-to-back wins, he notched his third podium in as many races with a third-place end.

Because the grid is about to return to China for the primary time since 2019, Sainz sits fourth within the Drivers’ Championship.

And stays with no seat for 2025.

The ripple results of Alonso re-signing with Aston Martin for 2025 might drift out in the direction of Alonso. Aston Martin bringing again Alonso for 2025 and past eliminates a possible touchdown spot for Sainz, and given the very fact Lance Stroll is probably going going to carry onto that second spot at Aston Martin — absent a shock transfer for a driver like Verstappen — Sainz might want to look elsewhere.

In fact, that elsewhere could possibly be Mercedes. Though if latest studies are to believed, Toto Wolff has his eyes on one other worth, which is Verstappen himself. Whether or not Verstappen would make such a stunning transfer to Mercedes stays to be seen, however latest reporting from German outlet AMS holds that the Silver Arrows have already signed off internally on the wage it will take to poach the three-time champion.

Then there may be Sauber. The group is about to develop into the Audi works staff for the 2026 season, and even earlier than the Hamilton information there have been studies linking Sainz to Sauber/Audi, given the truth that his father is a rally driver within the Audi fold — and received the Dakar Rally again in January.

As soon as the Hamilton information got here down, these studies picked up steam.

Curiously sufficient F1TV analyst Lawrence Barretto floated an alternative choice for Sainz on Thursday following the Alonso information.

Williams.

Williams is a really intriguing notion, given the opposite shifting elements on the grid. The staff has Alexander Albon below contract by means of a minimum of 2025, and absent Albon making an enormous transfer in all probability he can be again within the fold subsequent 12 months at Williams. Logan Sargeant at the moment holds the seat subsequent to Albon, and Workforce Principal James Vowles seemingly views Sargeant taking an enormous step ahead on the observe this 12 months as a most well-liked choice for 2025. We are able to name that their Plan A.

However what in the event that they want a Plan B?

That choice for Williams is likely to be Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 17-year-old phenom is set to get his first crack at an F1 automobile subsequent week, as he’ll get behind the wheel of Mercedes’ W12, their 2021 season challenger, in Austria.

Mercedes would possibly view Antonelli as their long-term choice for Hamilton’s seat, however anticipating the wunderkind to make the leap into F1 after only one season in F2 — and right into a Mercedes at this — is likely to be asking an excessive amount of. So Antonelli could possibly be an choice at Williams, much like the trail George Russell and different drivers within the Mercedes program have taken.

Which might shut one other door on Sainz.

Now possibly Williams is viewing Sainz as their Plan B. Barretto is actually extraordinarily plugged into the F1 world, and if one thing is being mentioned across the paddock, it’s prone to land on his radar, or maybe his cellphone to be extra correct. Linking Sainz to Williams is actually an fascinating growth, though one would suppose the extra seemingly transfer can be Sainz to Mercedes, and Antonelli to Williams in the intervening time.

Nonetheless, one would suppose {that a} driver of his caliber — and with the beginning he has had — would haven’t any downside discovering a spot for subsequent 12 months. Possibly, as Barretto floats, a return for Sainz to Pink Bull could possibly be within the works. That after all would require Pink Bull to determine to maneuver on from Sergio Pérez, who’s off to a robust begin of his personal and seeing reward are available from Dr. Helmut Marko, a crucial voice within the Pink Bull steady. So maybe Pink Bull stays pat as nicely, forging into 2025 and even past with their present Verstappen/Pérez pairing.

Once more, main us again to Sauber/Audi as an choice for Sainz.

Many twists and turns lie forward within the ongoing recreation of driver motion.

However Alonso’s determination on Thursday is simply the newest transfer that has rippling results all through the game.