Helmut Marko, Red Bull F1’s motorsport advisor, has named Fernando Alonso as surprise of the year for 2022.
Fernando Alonso will return to F1 with the Alpine F1 team in 2021 and won the podium at last year’s F1 Qatar GP. Despite turning 41, Alonso shows no signs of slowing down and recently signed a multi-year deal to race for Aston Martin F1 from 2023.
Red Bull F1 motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has praised two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso.
“He’s very fast. It’s incredible what kind of racing he has to offer and for me he’s a surprise this year,” Helmut Marko told Osterreich.
“As a driver, I even think he can still win races. The only question is whether Aston Martin can offer him the right package.”
Fernando Alonso will replace Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin F1 in 2023. Four-time F1 world champion Vettel has announced he will retire from F1 at the end of the season.
Helmut Marko worked closely with Sebastian Vettel on his way to a successful fourth consecutive title with Red Bull Racing, making Vettel one of the most dominant drivers in F1 history.
Helmut Marko believes Sebastian Vettel made the right decision to ditch his helmet once he realized he had other priorities than F1.
“Vettel’s precision was a perfect match for our DNA. Everything worked perfectly together,” said Helmut Marko.
“Now he has other priorities and he can’t even get on the podium with his car. So it’s a logical conclusion he made. You can’t move forward without putting your heart and soul into it.”
Category: F1 / red bull / Fernando Alonso