After several years of struggles in finding the right team, double-world champion Fernando Alonso finally seems to have made the right choice by moving to Aston Martin. The Spaniard has been in the form of his life as he has already clinched six podiums after the first eight races of the 2023 season.
The British team also seems to have made the right choice in signing Alonso, as the 41-year-old has all the skills in helping the team achieve their goal of winning the world championship in the future. And it is this aspiration of Aston Martin that has also inspired Alonso to join the team.
“Well done guys, I’m happy! We gave everything again.” 😀
🎥 x @F1#CanadianGPpic.twitter.com/fJ7m64ZE6H
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 19, 2023
Aston Martin have already made substantial progress from last season as they are currently third in the Constructors’ Championship as compared to seventh last season. With Alonso seemingly having made a habit of finishing on the podium this season, it seems that things are bright for both the Spaniard and the team.
Fernando Alonso never felt this content at his previous teams
Over the years, Fernando Alonso has made several poor career choices by moving to teams that have struggled to produce a quick enough car to fight for the championship. Prior to his current move to Aston Martin, the Spaniard came closest to fighting for the world championship when he was at Ferrari.
The 41-year-old finished second on three occasions while he was driving for the Prancing Horse (2010, 2012, and 2013). Even though Alonso managed to finish second in the championship back then, he still believes that the Aston Martin project is more promising.
While speaking to Sky Sports after the Canadian Grand Prix, Alonso said (as quoted by autosport.com), “Everything is good. To be honest, I cannot think of another time in my career that I was this confident with a team and with a project itself“.
Even though Alonso had a few decent seasons with Ferrari as well, the reason why he may be feeling more exuberant at Aston Martin is because of the difference in expectations. When the Spaniard moved to the Prancing Horse back in 2010, he perhaps was expected to fight for the championship.
And when it comes to Aston Martin, it is possible that Alonso may not even have had any expectations for the team to finish on the podium after two average seasons. This is because prior to this season, Aston Martin finished seventh in the Constructors’ Championship in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Alonso will now hope Aston Martin can move one step further
When Fernando Alonso moved to Aston Martin at the beginning of this season, he moved with the understanding that this was going to be a long-term project. The 41-year-old’s only aim with this project was to win a race as he is not sure about how long will he continue racing in F1.
However, he did tell Sky Sports that he sees no reason to stop until he is enjoying racing in the sport. And when it comes to Alonso, there has rarely been anyone that has doubted him despite his age. In fact, many view Alonso‘s age as a positive because of the experience that he brings alongside his skills.
Moreover, when it comes to Aston Martin, it is not Alonso that has been viewed as a weakness but his teammate, Lance Stroll. The Canadian has not only failed to finish on the podium so far this season but has also been beaten by Alonso in all the races, barring one.
The only race in which Stroll finished ahead of Alonso was in Spain, which also happened to be the 41-year-old’s worst race of the season so far. Hence, if Aston Martin is to achieve more success in the future, they will need to ensure that they have a strong enough driver alongside Alonso, one that can push the Spaniard.
