The biggest surprise of the 2023 season in its early stages has undoubtedly been Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin. The Spaniard joined the team in 2023, and was adamant about the fact that he wouldn’t have made the move had he not believed in their progress.
However, the thought that Aston Martin would be stronger than Ferrari and Mercedes in the opening round of the campaign was unfathomable. Alonso qualified in fifth for the race, and managed to fight off Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz on his way to securing a P3 finish.
Reeling in P3. 🥉
With just over 10 laps left, there was no stopping @alo_oficial as he relentlessly closed the gap on Sainz to secure his 99th podium finish.#BahrainGPpic.twitter.com/40rHrFGcWN
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 6, 2023
Alonso’s third place finish in Bahrain on Sunday was his 99th career podium, and his first since the 2021 Qatar GP. The Oviedo-born driver is on cloud nine at the moment, but took time out to point out a key factor where Aston Martin is better at than all the other rival teams.
Fernando Alonso credits Aston Martin’s success to Lawrence Stroll
Lawrence Stroll took control of team Silverstone in 2018 when they were called Force India. A year later, the renamed them as Racing Point before bringing back the Aston Martin name to Formula 1 in 2021.
Ever since taking control of the team, Stroll has insisted that anything short of championship glory will be a failure for him. This hunger and passion shown by the Canadian is what allowed Aston Martin to make such huge strides over the winter break, according to Alonso.
Hello 2023! We are @AstonMartinF1 💚. #NewEnergy #AstonMartin #f1 pic.twitter.com/oQJGHGKfJp
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) March 6, 2023
Alonso feels that most other team owners lack the passion and vision that Stroll has. His obsession with helping the team get better, allowed them to gain so much ground over the winter break, and Alonso promises that there are even bigger things to come.
World title in sight for Alonso?
Alonso’s last world championship win came when he won his second consecutive title with Renault back in 2006. The two-time winner has failed to win a title since, but came agonizingly close during his time with Ferrari.
Alonso’s last F1 race win also came in 2013 when he won the Spanish Grand Prix with Ferrari. Since then, he has mainly struggled in the midfield but is relishing an opportunity to fight at the front once again with Aston Martin.
Fighting the Red Bulls for the world championship may be a bit of a stretch at this stage of the season, but the fact that Stroll has promised major upgrades in the upcoming races, has made Alonso fans fairly optimistic.
