Fernando Alonso broke the internet with his podium at the 2023 Bahrain GP. He secured P3 behind the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, who finished 1st and 2nd, respectively.
Alonso’s AMR23 was also much faster than the Mercedes cars and on par with Ferrari. There was speculation that Aston could be building a fast car which was confirmed when the Spaniard easily hunted down Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton.
Of which the overtake on Hamilton was absolute perfection by the 43-year-old. The Spaniard tried to overtake the Briton on Lap 37 but could not complete the move due to an oversteer.
The Aston Martin Driver tried again in the next lap. He braked early and switched to the inside line while approaching turn 10. He managed to stick his car past Lewis and zoomed away.
Also Read: “50% of Mercedes and still faster” – Lewis Hamilton Baffled By Fernando Alonso’s Incredible Pace
Fernando Alonso explains how he overtook Hamilton and Sainz in a similar fashion
Fernando Alonso started the race in 5th place. But due to an early collision with teammate Lance Stroll, the duo lost places to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell early on.
However, the 2-time World Champion managed his tyres and timed the attack on Hamilton perfectly. He explained that his former teammate left a lot of room on the inside, allowing him to make the overtake easily.
Alonso explained he had more momentum on the exit and committed himself to the move. Luckily Lewis didn’t close the gap on the inside or else Alonso claimed he would have hit his rear wing.
Unlike Lewis, the Spaniard said his countryman Carlos Sainz was the opposite. After Charles Leclerc retired with engine failure, Sainz was 3rd, but the Aston Martin driver was catching up.
On lap 45, Nando attempted to overtake Carlos and narrowly avoided colliding into the back of the Ferrari. He attempted the same move he used to beat Hamilton, but Sainz covered the inside line. However, Sainz’s exit was hampered due to a lockup.
He said, “If you defend on the inside, your exit will be weak. He could only stop me temporarily because I had better tyres and more speed.” The Spaniard continued his hunt and overtook the Ferrari using DRS.
Also Read: Mercedes Reveal Why They Didn’t Listen to Lewis Hamilton- And It’s All Because of Fernando Alonso
A lot of Respect between Alonso and Hamilton
Fernando Alonso finally got to taste champagne on the podium after two years. And if Aston Martin’s performance trajectory remains the same, he might even win his first F1 race since 2013.
While the former Alpine driver managed to outwit Lewis during the first race of the season, he still holds a lot of respect for him. And perhaps that’s why overtaking the 7-time World Champion on track meant so much to him.
Alonso said, “When you compete against Lewis, one of the greats in our sport, nothing is ever the same. And you know he can use his talent and pull off something surprising.”
The two were teammates during Hamilton’s rookie year in F1 in 2007. But it quickly became a heated rivalry as both drivers aimed to win the Championship. Lewis even met the Spaniard after the race congratulating him in the TV pen. He claimed it was a joy to see Fernando on the podium after a long time.
Also Read: Lewis Hamilton Should Have Given Up Fight Against Fernando Alonso Claims Mercedes Chief
