Along with Otmar Szafnauer and sponsor BWT, Aston Martin is reportedly preparing to lose yet another major player to the Renault-owned Alpine team for 2022.
The Spanish sports daily Marca reports that Szafnauer, expected to shortly be unveiled as Alpine’s new boss, may be taking Aston Martin’s technical boss Andy Green with him.
It’s bad news for the green-coloured team but good news for the otherwise stagnating Alpine, which has undergone several managerial shakeups ahead of the new season.
As for the drivers, however, they are confident.
"I’m at a point in my life where I want to dedicate my time to F1," said 40-year-old Spanish driver Fernando Alonso.
"Physically, I think today’s cars are not very demanding. Maybe it would have been more of a limitation in 2004 or 2005.
"I feel good," the former two-time champion added. "Now everyone is getting to know this 18-inch tyre but I know it very well from WEC."
His younger French teammate Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, is excited about the debut of the all-new technical regulations in 2022.
"Before, a fifth place was like a victory, but things have changed and it’s fantastic," he is quoted by motorsport-total.com.
"I think if the cars are closer to each other, our sport can even surpass football in terms of emotions."