Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso have arguably been the biggest surprise of the 2023 season in its early stages. Heading into the new year, there was optimism at the Silverstone-based squad, but the fact that they would be at the top fighting for pole position in the opening race was not something many counted on.
Alonso led the timing charts in FP2 and FP3 at the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of the first qualifying session of the year. He was one of the favorites to take the pole, but missed out on it and will start the race on Sunday from P5 on the grid. Red Bull, meanwhile, secured a front-row lockout for the Bahrain GP led by Max Verstappen.
Even though Alonso is starting P5, which is a great starting position for a team like Aston Martin that struggled immensely over the last two seasons, there is disappointment among fans of the Spaniard, who expected him to start from the front row. Alonso, however, remains calm and asks for patience, as he predicts something special happening in tomorrow’s race.
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Fernando Alonso eyeing a podium finish in Bahrain
The last time Alonso won a race was in 2013, and his last podium finish came in 2021. This is arguably his best chance since then, to fight for a place in the top three, but the Oviedo-born driver is cautiously optimistic about it.
In an interview with DAZN after qualifying in Sakhir, the former Ferrari driver spoke about the AMR-23 and its strengths. Alonso admitted that the car did not have enough pace to fight Verstappen for the pole position, and that the team was satisfied with his P5 finish.
For the race on Sunday, Alonso insists that his main focus will be to score as many points as possible, and if there are any openings, he will push for a potential place in the top three.
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Alonso reassures fans about AMR-23’s pace
The AMR-23 has been the biggest surprise in terms of pace so far. It’s strong performance has fans excited, as they hope that 2023 brings out a four-way battle between Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin.
Alonso, meanwhile, is suggesting that the car is still ‘at base’. He assures fans that its performance will get better as the season progresses, and revealed that there are very important upgrades that are set to come in the next few months, that will make them even better.
Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll, who just returned from an injury, will start the 2023 Bahrain GP from eighth on the grid.
