Like Sebastian Vettel's shock announcement, nobody outside of F1 circles saw this coming.

Aston Martin has named the driver that will take over Sebastian Vettel's seat once the German retires at the end of this season, and it's no other than two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso.

This is not the first time that the two Formula One champions took over each other's F1 seats, as Vettel previously replaced Alonso at Ferrari back in 2015. The 41-year old Spaniard has inked a multi-year contract with the British squad, bringing a wealth of experience and talent that could instantly fill the void that Vettel will leave to the team.

Alonso started this season as F1's most experienced driver on the grid, and is set to become the sport's most experienced driver ever once he eclipses Kimi Raikkonen's record of 349 grand prix starts.

Despite being 41, Alonso has demonstrated he hasn't lost his speed and talent at all after qualifying 2nd in the Alpine at this year's Canadian Grand Prix. Last year at Hungaroring, he was instrumental for giving Esteban Ocon his first F1 win when he fended off the charging Lewis Hamilton. His last podium came in the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix where he finished 3rd.

Lance Stroll will continue to drive for Aston Martin alongside Alonso next year; his father, after all, practically owns the team. While they haven't announced it yet, 2021 Formula 2 Champion Oscar Piastri is expected to take over Alonso's seat at Alpine.