If you claim you weren't surprised by the news that Fernando Alonso will race for Aston Martin in 2023, chances are you're telling fibs.
It looked for all the world as though the 41-year-old would simply extend his stay with Alpine. After all, he returned to the French team after his Formula 1 hiatus to revive the glory days of his back-to-back titles when the team was branded as Renault.
But the dramatic news came on Monday morning, before the dust had even settled on the Hungarian Grand Prix. Explaining why he had chosen to pursue a fresh challenge, Alonso parroted the sort of line Lawrence Stroll has been trying to tell us ever since he bought the team.
