Fernando Alonso is heading into the 2023 Monaco GP thinking about his first race win of the season and since 2013. However, Alonso is wary of the fact that despite the hype, his weekend in Monaco could turn out to be the worst race of his season so far, as reported by SpeedWeek.com.
Red Bull has been the most dominant team of 2023 till now. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have shared five victories in five races between them, with Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari playing catchup behind. At Monaco, however, Red Bull’s main strength- their straight-line speed- can’t be used to full advantage. This has put the likes of Alonso and Charles Leclerc under the spotlight, with fans hoping for a win.
Fernando Alonso is asked about the “como 33” trend:
VER: “It’s a good number.”
ALO: “He’s still using number 1, I will ask for 33 next year.
Hopefully we can reach the number [33] in terms of wins and then we can go for 34!” pic.twitter.com/H6ClOw5U4l
— Autosport (@autosport) March 30, 2023
Alonso even admitted that he will approach the race with the motivation to win it. The Monaco GP is special and every driver wants to win it at least once in their lifetime. Alonso has tasted victory in Monte Carlo on two separate occasions but is yearning for another shot at achieving glory here. Still, he remains wary of leaving the race empty-handed.
Fernando Alonso is unsure about how Monaco GP will turn out
Monaco is a difficult track for drivers to overtake on. The lack of passing opportunities means that qualifying is extremely important, and could very well determine the outcome of the race. To capitalize on Red Bull’s potentially weaker car for the weekend, Alonso and Aston Martin will be hoping for a good performance.
Media day in the Principality. ✅
Race weekend is only just getting started!#MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/gjHLBkgqs8
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) May 25, 2023
Alonso admitted that he’s approaching the race with optimism and is focusing on enjoying himself above everything else. On the other hand, if their setup does not turn out the way he wants it to, he could be in for a very difficult weekend.
“That’s why we enjoy every weekend,” the 41-year-old said. “But of course on a weekend like this one here in Monaco I try to win the race. But it could also be our worst round of the World Cup, where we come away empty-handed, you never know.”
Win number 33 for Alonso?
Alonso has been stuck on 32 race wins for almost 10 years now. His last win came in his home race, when he won the Spanish GP in 2013. Back then Alonso was driving for Ferrari and in the years in between, he moved to McLaren, left F1, won the Le Mans and competed in the Indy 500 and made a return to the pinnacle of motorsports too.
The wait for a win has been far too long for a driver of Alonso’s capability, but he is sure about standing on the top step of the podium with Aston Martin before he retires. The 32-time race winner is currently P3 in the drivers’ championship, with four P3 finishes in the opening five races
