Fernando Alonso is priceless, this is why Aston Martin must do everything to keep him

How much is Fernando Alonso worth? According to some reports the two-time world champion believes he deserves a 25 per cent pay increase to £34m.

That's quite the demand when you're in your mid-40s and haven't won a race in 13 years, let alone a world championship in two decades.

Let's be honest too, how many sporting athletes get better in their 40s? Performance wise there is only one direction your physical capabilities head towards in that stage of life.

There is more though than judging how much Alonso is worth based on how good he was at his peak, and pointing to his long win drought which itself has a plausible explanation of its own.

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Why Aston Martin need Alonso

Alonso is Aston Martin's best driver, and while you may argue it's difficult to judge him up against Lance Stroll, his Canadian team-mate really isn't that bad. Stroll isn't going to win world championships anytime soon but there have been far worse drivers in F1.

The 45-year-old also makes Aston Martin relevant. Granted, Adrian Newey also to a degree attracts interest, but Alonso is a big name in F1 and that makes him and the team marketable. For Aston Martin, this is incredibly difficult to replace, especially when your car is not very good.

There is continuity too. Alonso has been with the team four years now, and him being at the start of the Aston Martin/Honda project is going to be important to understanding which directions the team need to take. Parachuting in a new driver to the mess that is being untangled at the team doesn't seem like the best move.

Which on the wider point, given all of the above, Alonso is absolutely crucial to Aston Martin over the next year at least. For 2027, there isn't a single driver on the grid Aston Martin could sign to replace him like-for-like

Only one driver can match Alonso

Forget Max Verstappen, or even someone like George Russell - they are not going to take a punt on Aston Martin's 2027 offering without any sort of proof the AMR 27 (I guess it will be called that?) can win races.

Now maybe in two years for 2028, the market is a little different, but that's too far in the future to start making predictions given how things can change during a full season.

Verstappen, Russell, Piastri and Sainz could become available, but even then only one of them can offer what Alonso does - and who knows where that four-time champion will end up. Aston Martin certainly can't predict it.

That's why keeping Alonso is a must. Granted, Alonso isn't getting faster or younger, but he is still a world class driver proving he still belong in F1. So whether he is worth, £26m, £34m or even £50m, Lawrence Stroll pay the man for however long you need him.

When Newey finally builds an Aston Martin that is capable of challenging the best teams, it's the worth the peace of mind to know that one of the F1 greats still performing at the top level will be behind the wheel.

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