Aston Martin under pressure to deliver competitive car for demanding Fernando Alonso

2023 is expected to be quite a year for Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso as the two embark on a new partnership together. Alonso will be joining Aston Martin after spending 2 seasons with Alpine since returning to F1 in 2021.

There seems to be no stopping the 41-year-old Spaniard who becomes the oldest driver in the F1 grid. But the eyes will be more on his British team than on him.

Aston Martin is hoping to make a statement in 2023 with their long-term goal to challenge for race wins and titles. The team have already made some noise by signing a marquee driver like Alonso.

The team also have sanctioned a new $240 million factory at Silverstone equipped with a Wind Tunnel. But only time will tell if the added hype and expectations prove to be a burden on their shoulders

Also Read: “Fernando Alonso was probably the toughest”- Sebastian Vettel ranks 2-time World Champion above Lewis Hamilton as the strongest rival

We need to be prepared for Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin boss

Aston Martin had only fared 7th in the Constructors championship. And it would take some time for them to develop into a frontrunner. But Fernando Alonso will be expecting results.

Alonso is a 2-time F1 World Champion. And he has a reputation for being extremely demanding from their cars. And Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack believes the team must be prepared for it.

“Fernando is a straight talker.” He said, “Drivers like Fernando have only achieved what they have because they keep asking questions, they keep pushing, and they keep wanting more.”

Krack added, “We need to be prepared; we need to be able to anticipate what he’s going to ask for. What ideas might he have? What might he want from the car? What processes might he like the team to have in place? What was he doing at other teams that he thinks we should also be doing?”

Aston Martin is right now developing their 2023 challenger. But Alonso would only be able to judge it and realise its true potential when he gets to drive it in the Pre-season test.

Also Read: “Fernando Alonso is helping me a lot”: Alpine academy prodigy hails 2-time World Champion for guiding him towards F1 dream

“Fernando is what we need,” says Mike Krack

Fernando Alonso is not an easy driver to manage. The driver has had a fallout with all his former employers. The driver is one tricky person to read and having him as your driver could be a double-edged sword.

But Mike Krack believes the driver is exactly what Aston needs. The team are at a crossroads and the experience of the Spaniard could prove vital in their emergence.

Krack claims, “Do I think it will be easy to manage Fernando? No, not at all. It won’t be easy. He will challenge us and constantly push for more, that’s the nature of a true champion.”

He adds, “But you can be sure he’ll get the maximum out of the car. If we want to grow and become a top team, we have to be able to manage these kinds of characters. Fernando is exactly what we need.”

Alonso was last spotted testing the Aston Martin AMR22 in the post-season testing in Abu Dhabi. And the driver will report for his new job shortly after his winter holidays end.

Also Read: “Big role to play in the future”- Aston Martin feels Fernando Alonso can help them grow after calling time on a driving career