After the 2023 Bahrain GP, the entire Aston Martin outfit was ecstatic as Fernando Alonso had just earned them their first podium finish since 2021. This kickstarted their season on a stunning note, and the entire team only hopes that things get better from here.
However, there was a moment at the start of the race where everyone at the Aston Martin garage got terrified. Alonso, who started P5, was looking to jump both Ferrari drivers at the start but his teammate Lance Stroll made a mistake, braked late into turn four, and rammed his wheel into the Spaniard’s AMR-23.
This duo. 💚#BahrainGPpic.twitter.com/T2QEOsT8hh
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 7, 2023
Alonso took to the team radio to ask his race engineer about the culprit, but thankfully, things didn’t escalate mainly because there wasn’t any damage to his car. On the other hand, it made the 41-year-old’s life slightly more difficult as he lost his position to former teammate and rival Lewis Hamilton.
Stroll recalls the moment he made contact with Alonso, and admitted he was absolutely terrified. As reported by Marca, the Canadian described his feeling after the Bahrain GP as ‘being relieved’ that the team ended up on the podium.
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Lance Stroll on how he dodged a bullet from Fernando Alonso
Stroll finished P6 in the Bahrain GP which was a brilliant result for a team and driver that was struggling at the wrong end of the grid in 2022. On top of that, the 24-year-old suffered a mountain-bike accident just two weeks before, for which he underwent wrist surgery.
Stroll also missed the entirety of pre-season testing with reserve driver Felipe Drugovich filling in for him. In the end, however, the Montreal-born driver won his race against time and somehow managed to get ready for the first race of the season. He might have been feeling a bit rusty, and his mistake that led to the collision with Alonso was proof of that.
My journey. Huge thanks for your support over the last couple of weeks pic.twitter.com/0TY7v7p6rY
— Lance Stroll (@lance_stroll) March 7, 2023
After the race, Stroll spoke about how much his wrists hurt, and also admitted that he was a bit relieved to have ‘dodged a bullet’, as Alonso would not have been happy with him, had he truly compromised his race.
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Bahrain was the start of something special, says Alonso
Alonso returned to the podium for the first time since 2021 after his P3 finish in Sakhir, but that is not where Aston Marti or his ambition ends. The Oviedo-born driver wants to fight for wins and potentially even the title.
After their heroics in Bahrain, Alonso was adamant that this was not the end of the road for them, and that new upgrades would make the AMR-23 even stronger. The last time Alonso won a race was in his home Grand Prix back in 2013, and the former Ferrari driver is desperate to change that this season.
