Two-time world champion Alonso has signed🥃 a multi-y൩ear contract to drive for Aston Martin from 2023 in news that has sent shockwaves through the 🎉F1 paddock and set-off ౠa dramatic chain reaction in the driver market. 

• 2023 F1 driver line-up: Who is signed up for next season and beyond?
• What 🌌next in F1’s messy Alpine/Piastri contractual tug of war?

Alonso’s decision to switch to Aston 🍰Martin caused Alpine by surprise, with team principal Otmar Szafnauer admitting he only found out the news when he read the official press release♛ on Monday morning. 

The 41-year-old Spaniard's exit from Alpine was caused by a 𒊎contractual dispute, with Alpine not willing to offer Alonso t🐎he long-term deal he desired. 

Further drama followed this week when Alpine named Oscar Piastri as Alonso’s replacement for 2023, only for the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Ausꦗtr💮alian to deny that he has signed a contract with the team. 

Discussing Alonso’ꦛs bombshell switch in his Sky column following last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Kravitz said the move will help Mercedes keep tabs on Alonso.

"Wh🅘at i𓃲t also does do is reunite Fernando with the Mercedes engine family, which I think is an interesting angle,” Kravitz wrote. 

“Fernando hasn't been powered by Mercedes since he left McLaren the first time round under a bit of a cloud 15 years aꦏgo. So this would have needed a sign-off from Toto Wolff, which it obviously got.

"Is it ridiculous to think that Mercedes 🌞wanted Fernando back in their family just to see what he was꧟ like?

"Should Lewis decide he was to leav🍨e for whatever reason, and they need a world champion to put alongside George, would it not be the end of the world if Mercedes had a bit of visibility in what Fernando was 🅠like, even as a 41-year-old?

"You might have thought that was unlikely, but as ꦺthis announcement proves - anything is po🌜ssible in F1!”

An ‘odd’ move - but is it a gamble? 

Alonso’s move has come as a sur🥂prise within F1, considering that Alpine♛ are currently more competitive than their midfield rivals. 

Alpine currently hold fourth in the constructors’ championship, while Aston Martin are struggling down in nint⛄h amid a difficult seaso🌊n. 

Aston Martin have lofty ambitions for the future and are investing heavily in their que♑st to fight for wins and world championships in the coming years. 

At ꩵpresent, however, the move appears to be a clear backwards step. 

"It's fairly standard Fernando Alonso career behaviour that he is betting on a marked improvement in th𒐪e next three years,” said Kravitz. 

"That is, though, the other thing I find slightly perplexing about the whole thing, thatཧ at best it's going to take three years for Aston Martin to be able to win races and challenge for championships. By which point, Fernando will be 44.

"He's fit as a fiddle and he's into F1 as he ever was, his break refreshed him, and he's not running out of steam like Sebastian Vett𒐪el has. But, really? And is that to suggest Alpine weꦜre never going to get there?

"Or, is he just looking for one more team to see what he💟 could do, a different challenge? It is all a bit odd."