Two-time world champion Alonso has si🍒gned a multi-y🎐ear contract to drive for Aston Martin from 2023 in news that has sent shockwaves through the F1 paddock and set-off a 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 Al♏pine/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 contractual dispute, with Alpine not willing to offer Alonso the l🅰ong-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:Australian to deny that he has signed 🔴a contract with the team. 

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

"What it also does do is reunite Fernando with the Mercedes engine family, which I th꧃ink 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 cloud𝔉 15 years ago. 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 th🔯eir family just to see what he was like?

"Should Lewis decide he was to leave for whatever reason, and they need a world champi🅰on 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 mꦓight have thought that was unlikely, but as this announcemꦰent proves - anything is possible in F1!”

An ‘odd’ move - but is it a gamble? 

Alonso’s move has come as a surprise within F1, considering that Alpine are currently 🔯more competi𝓰tive than their midfield rivals. 

Alpine currently hold fourth in the constructors’ championship, while Aston Martin are struggling down in ninth amid𝓀 a difficult season. 

Aston Martin have lofty ambitions for the future and are investing heavily in their quest to fight for wins and world championships in the coming years.&𝕴nbsp;

At pr🐬esent, however, the move appears to be𒈔 a clear backwards step. 

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

"That is, though, the other thing I find slightly perplexing about the whole thing, that at 🧸best it's going to ta🧜ke 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 Vettel has. But, really? And is that to sugges💞t Alpine were never going to get there?

"Or, is he just looking for one more team to see what he ཧcould do, a different challenge? It is al⛎l a bit odd."