Mercedes, who were just one point behind Aston Martin heading into the Spanish GP weekend moved past the Silverstone-based outfit after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished P2 and P3 respectively. Now, in an interview with Sky Sports, Fernando Alonso admitted that he is afraid of losing ground to Mercedes in the championship battle.
Aston Martin has been flying high so far this season, but the Spanish GP didn’t quite go the way they would’ve liked it to. Alonso had a disastrous qualifying session, and started the race from P9, hoping to make up places and earn his sixth podium finish of the campaign.
Unfortunately for the hometown hero, he could only muster up a P7 finish, behind his teammate Lance Stroll in sixth. This wasn’t enough to outscore the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Russell, both of whom accompanied Max Verstappen on the podium.
A strong team effort and an important double points finish as the chequered flag waves on the #SpanishGP.
Lance finishes in P6, Fernando P7.
Nice work team. 👏 pic.twitter.com/2Ub5E8tAqP
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 4, 2023
Aston Martin leave Barcelona with 14 points, compared to Mercedes’ 33-point haul.
Consistent drivers are of huge help to Mercedes, says Fernando Alonso
Just a few days ago, Alonso spoke highly of Stroll, calling him unlucky for his misfortune so far this season. After the race in Barcelona, however, Alonso didn’t praise his young teammate for his pace. Instead, he highlighted the problems Aston Martin face because of inconsistency.
Alonso has been incredibly consistent so far this season. In seven races, he has five podium finishes, but Stroll hasn’t been close to matching the 41-year-old’s stats so far. This has been a shortcoming for Aston Martin, who are losing ground to Mercedes because both Hamilton and Russell are scoring good points every week.
Podium and make it a DOUBLE. 🏆🏆 Awesome job, Team. 💜💙 pic.twitter.com/ach3X3h6np
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) June 4, 2023
After the Spanish GP, Alonso said, “They are fast. They are a concern for us and have been all year long. They have very consistent drivers as well.”
“For us, we have a fast car, but they seem to score with only one car or have more trouble in the race. Mercedes is always there and will be a very tough competitor.”
In the Drivers’ standings, Hamilton and Russell have 87 and 65 points respectively. On the other hand, Alonso has 99 points to his name whereas Stroll’s inconsistency has limited him to just 35 points. Unless the Canadian driver starts bettering his results in the races to come, it will be increasingly tough for Alonso to stop Hamilton and Co. from taking second place in the standings.
Lewis Hamilton leads Mercedes to their first defining moment of the season
Up until the Spanish GP weekend, Mercedes’ only real defining moment came at the 2023 Australian GP where Hamilton finished P2. Other than that, they didn’t have a single podium finish, and the mood in Brackley was one of pure frustration.
Soaking it all in. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PUpYK0Rpht
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) June 4, 2023
Hamilton and Russell, however, delivered in Barcelona, which will give the Silver Arrows some much needed relief. They secured a double podium finish, which makes them the first team other than Red Bull to do so this season.
Moving 18 points clear of Aston Martin in the standings, Hamilton and Mercedes will be much more confident about increasing the gap even further when F1 heads to Canada in two weeks time.
