Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack says new signing Fernando Alonso may be set for a long-term position with the team in a non-driving role when he elects to stop racing. Alonso caused a stir earlier this year when it was announced shortly after the Hungarian Grand Prix that he would leave Alpine at the end of 2022 to join Aston Martin on a multi-year deal, replacing the retiring Sebastian Vettel. At 41, Alonso is the oldest driver on the F1 grid by some four years, but his speed and enthusiasm for racing appear undimmed, with Krack hailing the Spaniard's performance on his first official outing for Aston Martin at 2022's post-season test in Abu Dhabi. Asked whether Alonso's future relationship with Aston Martin may include the Spaniard transitioning into a non-driving role, Krack responded in the affirmative. "We have had some very good conversations already with him," Krack told media, including RacingNews365.com . "This, in my opinion, can go beyond driving. Fernando joining us as being a core part of the team, and we have to see how this is going to develop. "But I think he can have a big role to play in the future of the team."
Alonso to mirror Schumacher move?
Should Alonso move into a management or advisory role with Aston Martin upon the completion of his current contract, the Spaniard would mirror the path taken by Michael Schumacher after his first retirement from F1 in 2006. The German subsequently acted as Ferrari's adviser and assisted with the team's development programme, focusing on testing electronics and tyres. Schumacher was then drafted in to race for the Scuderia midway through 2009 after Felipe Massa was injured during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, but was forced to call off his planned comeback as he had not fully recovered from a neck injury sustained in a motorcycle crash earlier in the year.
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