Fernando Alonso has had an incredible 2023 season so far, with the Spanish driver managing to claim 7 podium finishes – the most by any non-Red Bull driver. Despite having a dream run, the one thing that he has failed to do is to catch up with the Red Bulls, especially that of Max Verstappen. Now, Alonso has revealed to F1Maximaal his take on what makes Red Bull so dominant.
Alonso was quite clearly the surprise package at the start of the season as he rocked up to the grid with an insanely fast Aston Martin. He put in some scintillating performances even at the age of 41 and managed to claim 6 podium finishes in the first eight races of the season.
Fernando Alonso: 14 races in the top 10 – 7 of which were podium finishes!@alo_oficial @AstonMartinF1#FernandoAlonso #FA14 #F1 pic.twitter.com/ivkbCVC1jt
— Paul McGinnes 🏁 (@PaulMcG92) September 4, 2023
As of now, the performance of the Aston Martin has dropped off quite a bit, and the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes have taken the spot behind Red Bull. However, the Silverstone outfit have continued their efforts to bridge the gap between them and Red Bull, and the results were quite evident as Alonso finished P2 at Zandvoort recently.
Fernando Alonso heaps praise on Red Bull and Max Verstappen
Alonso currently stands P3 in the driver’s championship, behind the two Red Bull drivers, and he has been the only driver who could keep up with the Red Bulls for quite a long time. Ahead of the Italian GP, Alonso spoke to Motorsportweek and explained his understanding on what exactly helps Red Bull be so dominant.
Alonso commented that Red Bull and Verstappen seem to have an unprecedented connection, which helps both of them immensely. “They have the fastest car, know how to handle the tires best, have the best starts and pit stops. They are the best in all areas,” said the two-time World Champion.
Fernando Alonso on Red Bull’s dominance: “I don’t know what these people eat or drink.”
“They are the best at everything: they have the fastest car and driver, they don’t make mistakes, they make the fastest pit stops, the best starts, the best strategies.”
“At the moment they… pic.twitter.com/XC5UXhUvL5
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) September 8, 2023
Alonso also explained that it is not just the team but also Max Verstappen himself who has had a huge role to play in achieving the success that Red Bull have achieved as of now. “You see the same thing with Max. He is the best in qualifying, the best in the race, the best in battles and the best in his pit stops,” said Alonso.
The former Ferrari driver cleared up the misconception that a pit stop process is only up to the team, and a driver has no role to play in it. Alonso explained that Red Bull managed to pull off the sub-2-second pit stops only because Verstappen is flawless about positioning his car in the pit box.
Alonso is using the Red Bull domination as motivation
Despite Red Bull managing to pull away even further, Alonso has claimed that he is not the one to give. Instead of being disappointed by the gap between his team and Red Bull, Alonso is using the Red Bull domination as motivation.
“Their success is actually a motivation for us to work towards the same level,” claimed the Spanish driver, desperately searching for his 33rd race win. He still believes that he can do it, and that Aston Martin can reach the levels that Red Bull are currently at right now.
