Fernando Alonso is starting another phase of his Formula 1 career in 2023 with Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based team brought the two-time world champion into the fold to see themselves rise in the F1 grid and instil the winning mentality.
Team owner Lawrence Stroll has always envisioned fighting for the championship with his team. But so far, they have only failed to maintain the upward trajectory. In 2021, they hired Sebastian Vettel to help them with his all-F1 experience, but the alliance didn’t materialize.
Now, they are attempting the same logic by hiring Alonso in 2023. Personally, the Spaniard wants to take Aston Martin at the championship-winning level, but he doesn’t see himself in F1 for over three more years. Will he be able to achieve his objectives by then? That’s a tough task.
6 days until launch.
As we edge closer to the reveal of the #AMR23, @alo_oficial completes his first official track runs in green and we get to hear the sound we’ve all been waiting for…
It’s fire-up day. 🔊 #NewEnergy pic.twitter.com/bI86lWypFN
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) February 7, 2023
Also read: Why Bahrain is Chosen Over Barcelona for F1 Pre-Season Testing?
Fernando Alonso claims he’ll be proud of Aston Martin winning without him
Amidst the new aero regulations, Aston Martin didn’t put up a good show for 2022. So, they’ll unlikely improve drastically without a significant regulation change.
The subsequent big regulation is coming in 2026. So, it’s unlikely that Aston Martin can break all the deficit against the top sides under the current scene. And it’s unknown whether Alonso can stay for that long.
Yet, the Spanish race driver isn’t worried about Aston Martin only getting to fight for the title once he leaves them. Instead, he claims he’ll be proud of them at that moment.
“I will still be very proud if the team wins without me in the car. I will be very proud of the process and my contribution to the project,” said Alonso.
Giving the best resources
Seeing his career, Alonso is known to be a very demanding driver. If the team wants to see him win, he would demand all the resources to allow him to do so, making it hard for the engineering department to keep up with his competitiveness.
But Aston Martin boss Mike Krack realizes that and understands his team would need to give Alonso the best car possible to allow him to achieve things they desire. Otherwise, his coming to Silverstone would only be futile.
According to Krack, Alonso is still a top driver, and if every F1 driver on the grid had identical cars, then the Spaniard would always end at the top of the standings. Not even a month remains before Alonso start competing for his new team. How this phase will turn out for him will only be known on the track.
Also read: How Does F1 Pre-Season Testing Work?
