F1 | Behind the scenes of Alonso's test in an Aston Martin DTM

The Vantage DTM, one of five chassis ever built by R-Motorsport under the Aston Martin licence, was purchased by Alonso from engine builder HWA for an as yet undisclosed sum.

At Alonso's request, HWA installed a passenger seat before the car was sold to him. This was a standard conversion process, reducing the size of the fuel tank to allow for the carriage of one more person.

“Fernando knew the cars were for sale and contacted us,” Martin Marx, managing director of HWA, told Motorsport.com's sister publication, Motorsport-Total.com.

The Vantage DTM was officially handed over to Alonso at a major fan event organized by his sponsor at the Jarama circuit, near Madrid, in September, which was attended by over 2,000 people.

Daniel Juncadella, who participated in the 2019 DTM season with R-Motorsport, was also present at the event and provided Alonso with some information about the car.

Alonso then took the Vantage out on track at Aragon for a proper test last month, just weeks after driving Aston Martin to fifth place in the 2023 F1 constructors' standings. Numerous family members and friends were invited to attend at the event and joining him as a passenger as he completed several laps of the 5.3km circuit.

Also among those present was six-time MotoGP champion and fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez, who took the wheel of the Vantage from Alonso to gain some more experience with prototype cars. Juncadella also joined Alonso for the test and revealed that the 42-year-old enjoyed his first real experience of driving the 650PS Vantage.

Photo by: Finetwork

Fernando Alonso tests the Class 1 Aston Martin Vantage AMR

“He said he was impressed with the car,” Juncadella told Motorsport-Total.com. “The performance was better than he expected. Fernando is used to a lot of power and good braking. But he said the car is quite direct. He expected to have to turn the wheel more.”

“Today it's a little different with the GT3 cars, but the prototypes were high-performance vehicles. Fernando likes any kind of racing – he would drive anything if there was a competition and a challenge.”

Juncadella believes that the fact that the Vantage DTM can be easily modified played a role in Alonso's decision to purchase the car.

Photo by: Finetwork

Fernando Alonso testing the Aston Martin Vantage AMR Class One

“There's the Formula 1 two-seater, but if you look at all the cars in the world that can be used to ride with other people, the DTM Class 1 is the best you can get, so the passenger can really feel what happens in a real race car,” he said.

Although the Vantage DTM only contested one season in the category – and without any notable results – it is clear that the results achieved by that car were not of great importance to Alonso. The fact that Alonso was interested in buying a DTM car from the days of the much-loved Class One may have to do with the conversation he had with then boss Gerhard Bergard about a guest outing. Additionally, Aston Martin F1 team principal Mike Krack previously worked on BMW's Class 1 M4 during his time at the Bavarian manufacturer.

R-Motorsport has built five Vantage DTMs in total, four for competition and one for testing. Alonso purchased what was originally used as a test car by R-Motorsport/Aston Martin, rather than the chassis his compatriot Juncadella raced.

Photo by: Finetwork

Fernando Alonso testing the Aston Martin Vantage AMR Class One

Three of the five chassis have been sold, while the other two are still waiting for a new owner.

“After the sale to Fernando, who drives this car and obviously enjoys it, the interest in the two vehicles still available has increased significantly. For us too it is the ideal scenario if the car is in good hands and continues to be driven “, said Gordian von Schoning, member of the HWA board of directors.

The Vantage DTM isn't the only new car Alonso purchased towards the end of last year. The Spaniard also got his hands on a new motocross kart built by LifeLive, a company founded by WRC star Thierry Neuville's brother Yannick.