In a slightly strange turn of events last week, it appeared Red Bull forced Aston Martin’s hand by announcing Fallows’ departure themselves. Aston Martin concurred with this, but it then emerged that neither side had agreed on when Fallows would finish at Red Bull and start at Silverstone, with his contract currently having two years left to run.
Aston Martin appears to have been keen to seize the initiative themselves on this occasion, stating that Alessi will start today.
“Two weeks ago we announced the hiring of Luca Furbatto as our new Engineering Director, who will start work for us in due course. Last week Dan Fallows’ forthcoming arrival as our new Technical Director was also made public,” Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer said.
“Today, Andrew Alessi is added to the impressive list.
“Many times this year we have said: ‘This team has always punched above its weight; now it has the weight with which to punch harder.’ That is absolutely true – and expert and experienced new arrivals such as Luca, Dan and now Andrew represent proof that we are building the technical/engineering strength in depth that we need in order to deliver that harder punch.”
“I am delighted to be joining Aston Martin,” Alesi added.
“Like everyone in and around Formula 1, I have seen and been impressed by the evident ambition of the team I am joining, led as it is now by Lawrence Stroll, and I am very much looking forward to working with Otmar Szafnauer as well as the very capable technical- and engineering-focused members of the senior management team.