Formula 1

Alonso praises team effort as Aston Martin’s strong start raises hopes for top team challenge

Published

3 weeks ago

05/03/2023

Alonso praises team effort as Aston Martin strong start F1 2023

Fernando Alonso and his team, Aston Martin, surprised themselves and the racing world with a podium finish at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix in 2023.

Despite an early setback on the first lap of the race, Alonso was able to overtake several drivers and finish in third place behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Fernando Alonso acknowledged that Aston Martin did not expect to secure a podium finish in every race of the 2023 season, following his third-place result at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He finished behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing.

Despite starting from fifth on the grid, Alonso was bumped back to seventh place on the first lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix after being hit by his teammate Lance Stroll.

Alonso initially thought it was George Russell who made contact with him, but upon reviewing the TV replay, he realized it was Stroll. Alonso also noted that Stroll had a strong start as he was able to keep pace with him going into Turn 4.

Alonso acknowledged that his team was fortunate as two cars were able to continue without any issues after the contact.

He expressed his happiness with the team for their strong performance and deserved result. Despite the setback, Alonso was able to overtake both Mercedes drivers and Carlos Sainz, his fellow Spaniard, to claim third place. He achieved this after Charles Leclerc retired from the race due to a mechanical issue.

Alonso acknowledged that his team’s performance in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix was a perfect start to their project. He stated that they did not expect to be as competitive as they were.

Their goal for the 2023 season was to compete in the midfield, leading it, and closing the gap to the top three teams. Even a podium finish was not on their radar for this year. However, they found themselves with the second-best car, behind Red Bull, throughout the weekend in Bahrain, which was a surprise to them.

Alonso expressed his pride and happiness in the work done by his team at Silverstone, and congratulated everyone on their achievements. He hopes that this result will be a springboard for a successful 2023 campaign and a step closer to the top teams.

During qualifying on Saturday, Alonso admitted that Aston Martin’s performance felt “unreal” compared to last year, as the team made significant progress. However, he remains curious to see if their strong start can be sustained in the upcoming races in Jeddah and Melbourne.

Alonso stated that he still has the same feeling as he did on Saturday, that the team’s performance is too good to be true. He anticipates that they may face setbacks and return to reality. However, he acknowledged that their performance in Bahrain seemed real.

Alonso expressed curiosity about the upcoming races in Jeddah and Melbourne as they are different circuits with high-speed corners and little tire degradation. He noted that their strengths in Bahrain may not translate to these tracks. Nonetheless, if they continue to perform well in the next two races, Alonso believes that they will have a successful 2023 season.

f1 2023 Alonso praises team effort as Aston Martin’s strong start raises hopes for top team challenge f1 2023 Alonso praises team effort as Aston Martin’s strong start raises hopes for top team challenge f1 2023 Alonso praises team effort as Aston Martin’s strong start raises hopes for top team challenge