The 42-year-old Spanish driver, currently with Aston Martin, spent five seasons at Ferrari from 2010-2014 but was unsuccessful in securing an F1 Championship for the Italian team.
Ferrari has not claimed a Title since the Constructors’ Championship in 2008, with Kimi Raikkonen being the last driver to win a Drivers’ Title in 2007.
“I hope he enjoys the experience, I think it’s a very unique team,” double F1 World Champion Alonso told reporters prior to Aston Martin’s 2024 car launch at Silverstone.
“It becomes even more special when you win, and that’s the key. You need to win, and for a few years now, they’ve had a very fast car and have been competing for significant achievements. Perhaps Lewis can bring that extra edge to fight for the championship.
“The car is there. Even at the end of last year, despite Red Bull’s dominant car, Ferrari was still able to match their lap times and be faster than them in most qualifying sessions.
“So I believe the car should be sufficiently fast,” expressed the Aston Martin driver.
Hamilton’s switch from Mercedes to Ferrari on a multi-year contract was announced on February 1. The 39-year-old British driver later stated that driving for the Italian team would allow him to “fulfill another childhood aspiration.”
Alonso mentioned that he was busy training on the day the news broke, so he missed out on all the excitement.
He disclosed, “It was probably a surprise, I won’t deny it, but not because of the change itself. Just because it seemed from the outside that he was closely connected to Mercedes and very loyal to them.
“It wasn’t his childhood dream 12 months ago, or even two months ago, I suppose, because it was a different dream,” he added.
Alonso could now potentially be considered as a replacement for his former McLaren teammate at Mercedes, as the Spaniard’s contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of the season. He also asserted that he is in better physical shape than ever before.
When asked about any direct communication with Mercedes regarding the seat, he stated that there had been “absolutely nothing.” Alonso did point out, however, that he is the only available World Champion for the 2025 driver market and mentioned that he would first discuss with Aston Martin before making a decision on his future.
“If we cannot reach an agreement and I want to commit to racing in Formula 1, I know I hold a privileged position. I am likely to be appealing to other teams, considering the performance they witnessed last year and the dedication,” he emphasized. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
According to the Source grandprix247.com