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Alpine's Fernando Alonso Willing to Wait Until After Summer Break for F1 Contract Talks

Alpine F1 Team is, without a doubt, one of the strongest outfits on the grid this year, and arguably the “best of the rest”, trailing only Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes in terms of performance. Alpine also has one of the best, most experienced drivers in all of Formula 1 in Fernando Alonso, and his contract is set to run out this year.
Alpine F1 driver Fernando Alonso 7 photos
Photo: Alpine F1 Team
Alpine F1 driver Fernando AlonsoAlpine F1 driver Fernando AlonsoAlpine F1 driver Fernando AlonsoAlpine F1 driver Fernando AlonsoAlpine F1 driver Fernando AlonsoAlpine F1 driver Fernando Alonso
It seems as though the Spaniard isn’t eager to let his seat go to some other driver and wishes to extend his stay with Alpine beyond this season, despite being the oldest driver on the grid (40 years old).

During the British Grand Prix weekend, both Alonso and Alpine F1 boss Otmar Szafnauer expressed similar thoughts regarding a contract extension, specifically that talks will likely occur after the summer break in August, reports Motorsport.

“So far, year, we didn’t start any negotiations,” said Alonso. “My aim, as I said sometimes, is to continue, but yeah, until the summer break, I want to concentrate [on racing]. This July, we have four races, and I need to score points because the first nine races have been a little bit unlucky for me.”

At Silverstone, Alonso crossed the finish line fifth while trying to chase down Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the closing stages of the Grand Prix.

When asked whether there was anything that would keep Alpine from resigning the two-time F1 champion (2005, 2006), Szafnauer replied: “I haven’t thought of it, but it’s a good question.”

“He’s driving brilliantly and qualifies well, races well. That’s what it’s really about. But let’s think about that.”

We don’t mean to nitpick but that’s kind of a strange answer to give. Alonso is clearly still one of the best drivers on the grid, so why would there be anything to think about? Unless, of course, it’s a salary issue.
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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
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Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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