Jean Alesi backs Fernando Alonso to succeed at Aston Martin if the car is good enough

Jean Alesi believes that Fernando Alonso can still be a winner in Formula 1 at Aston Martin, with the Spaniard heading there for 2023.

Sebastian Vettel’s exit from Aston and F1 at the end of this season opened up a seat within the team and Alonso was quick to fill it, with him set to move from Alpine at the end of this year.

Indeed, it’s a move that surprised many with his current team further up the standings than Aston at the moment, but it’s clear he was convinced by the Silverstone-based outfit’s ambition.

A driver that could be well into his 40s by the time he leaves F1, Fernando is showing no signs of slowing down and, indeed, Alesi believes he can still win in the sport, whilst he also paid tribute to the Spaniard’s longevity when recalling an early memory of Fernando in 2001 – his debut year:

“I’ll tell you a story,” Alesi said to Give Me Sport.

“I was in Hockenheim and at the time we had the long circuit, it was not the Hockenheim we have now. We had these long straights going into the forest so, of course, we had the stadium section with all the public and then for a long time you were in the forest with no public.

“So he was next to me [on the drivers’ parade] and suddenly at the end of the forest was one fan with a sign saying ‘Happy Birthday Fernando.’ And so I turned to him and said ‘Fernando, is it your birthday?’ And I ask him how old he is and he says ’20-years-old!’ So that is my memory of him and to see the career he has had, it’s just amazing. What a fighter, I mean this guy when you see drivers like him, you’re happy to pay the ticket.”

READ MORE: Jean Alesi on the Piastri/Ricciardo saga

There’s every chance fans could see Fernando driving for at least three more years after this season, providing