McLaren treated F1 fans to a spectacle at the 2023 British GP with a strong resurgence. This made Mercedes driver George Russell claim that the papaya outfit will challenge Red Bull at the top this season. However, Fernando Alonso dismissed the Mercedes driver’s claim, despite his team Aston Martin going through a rough patch as of late.
George Russell feels that after two back-to-back strong outings in Austria and Silverstone, nothing should stop them from catching up to the Red Bulls. He feels that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will constantly be on Red Bull’s toes for the rest of the year. The sudden injection of pace in the MCL60 has left Russell incredibly surprised.
Furthermore, Russell wasn’t the only F1 driver to praise McLaren for their return to the top. The likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen publicly admitted to being happy for McLaren as they basked in glory at their home race in the UK. Hamilton was in awe of McLaren’s pace after he failed to chase down Norris in Silverstone. Verstappen meanwhile was delighted to see his good friend Norris and Piastri up thereat the front with him.
Fernando Alonso not worried about McLaren’s advancements
Fernando Alonso does not want to put McLaren on a pedestal, just because they have shown strong pace over the last few weeks. He agrees that the Woking-based outfit is fast, but doesn’t see them posing any real threat, at least in this campaign.
Talking about this, the 41-year-old revealed as per Formula Nitro: “It’s not like they’re always going to be in the points. We’re splitting all the points between ourselves. So it’s hard to have a huge advantage over someone.”
Still watching this. 😍#BritishGP 🇬🇧 #F1 pic.twitter.com/IuDWCRoqVV
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 13, 2023
With McLaren so far behind in the points table, the Aston Martin driver believes the main competition for P2 lies between themselves, Mercedes and Ferrari. Having said that, the former Ferrari star is still confident, despite losing ground lately. After a underwhelming showing at Silverstone, he remained adamant about newer upgrades improving their performance in the races to come.
Alonso reveals a strong Aston Martin point
After a poor run of form, Fernando Alonso urges Aston Martin fans to remain patient. The Oviedo-born driver feels that they will be much stronger in Hungary, where the track’s slower layout will supposedly suit them more.
On the other hand, Norris also pointed out how McLaren could have a disappointing showing in Hungary. Admittedly, the MCL60s are rapid at fast speed corner tracks like Silverstone, whereas the race at Hungaroring might test their mettle to the full.
With the race for P2 getting heated up, Aston Martin will also be relying on Mercedes losing out on big points. All in all, the fans can hope for an Aston Martin revival and see Fernando Alonso at the podium once again.
