Fernando Alonso was taken aback by Lawrence Stroll message before paying £2.3m bill
Fernando Alonso is heading towards the end of his second season at Aston Martin.
Fernando Alonso admits he was shocked to learn that Aston Martin drivers do not receive a discount on the manufacturer's cars before splashing out £2.3million on a brand new Valkyrie.
The F1 team's part-owner, Lawrence Stroll, was the man to deliver the news to Alonso, who has just taken delivery of his glitzy hypercar in Monaco. "They don’t give me anything for free," joked the two-time world champion in an interview with DAZN Spain.
"They lend it to me and at the end of the year, they take it back. I was always surprised because I negotiated with Lawrence, I asked him what discounts we Aston Martin employees or drivers got and he said: ‘None, why?’ To pay like everyone else, zero discount."
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Alonso did not much need the discount given he has amassed a monumental reported net worth of just under £200m. The F1 veteran has been lining up on the grid for more than two decades with a number of lucrative contracts and hefty bonuses thrown in along the way.
The 43-year-old has committed his future to Aston for two more seasons despite links with Red Bull and Mercedes earlier this year. His healthy working relationship with Stroll - father of his team-mate Lance - may have had something to do with his decision.
"We have a very good relationship," Alonso explained. "Of course he is a very important person and a successful businessman, but at the same time he has a big heart and an unbridled passion for racing.
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"For me Lance is like a little brother, so Lawrence I think sees me not only as an Aston Martin driver but also as a right-hand man for Lance. It’s more of a family relationship."
Results have been far from inspiring for Aston in recent weeks. At Monza last time out, Alonso finished out of the points in P11 and Stroll was the last driver across the line in 19th.
With 74 points on the board in the Constructors' Championship, fifth-place Aston are considerably closer to pointless Kick Sauber than they are to fourth-place Mercedes. Alonso and co. will hope their fortunes change with the arrival of Adrian Newey.
Red Bull's outgoing chief technical officer is expected to be announced as the new figurehead of Aston's design team over the coming days with a view to using his expertise in the 2025 season and beyond.
