Aston Martin have been the surprise of the 2023 season so far, and their new driver Fernando Alonso is loving life in Silverstone. The two-time world champion finished P3 in his debut race for Aston Martin, and earned his 99th career podium finish. Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, however, took a dig at him and the British team, accusing them of copying Red Bull’s design.
Ahead of the opening race, it was Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko who threw shade at Alonso and Aston Martin. The 79-year-old felt that having former Red Bull engineers like Dan Fallows in the team, helped them steal ideas from the Milton-Keynes squad. Aston Martin did not react to these comments, but they are surely accusations that won’t be taken kindly back at the base.
“It’s nice to see 3 Red Bull cars on the podium”
HELP THIS HAS ME WHEEZING pic.twitter.com/xwUqkeq4XV
— Matt³³⁺¹⁶ | 🇸🇦JEDDAH🇸🇦 (@FM1_3316) March 5, 2023
The Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Perez guided the team to a one-two finish in Bahrain on Sunday, and Alonso came third. After the race, the three drivers were part of the post-race press conference, where Perez said that it was nice to see “three Red Bull cars on the podium”.
Also read: Red Bull Engineer Was Unhappy With Max Verstappen Despite Dominating Bahrain GP
How did Fernando Alonso react to Sergio Perez’s comments?
Alonso took Perez’s comment surprisingly well. However, it is very likely that the Mexican driver was joking when he referred to Alonso’s AMR-23 as a Red Bull car. Race winner Verstappen also found Perez’s take funny, and laughed it off.
“We are all Red Bull drivers”
Checo’s not holding back anything 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/0qgygSbPiM
— Matt³³⁺¹⁶ | 🇸🇦JEDDAH🇸🇦 (@FM1_3316) March 5, 2023
Perez’s jokes, however, did not stop there. When a reporter was asking a question that was directed only to the ‘Red Bull’ drivers, the 33-year-old took to the microphone once more and declared that all three of them were Red Bull drivers.
Can Alonso challenge Max Verstappen in 2023?
Heading into the opening race of the season, Red Bull was the favorite to deliver the strongest car. However, fans couldn’t quite comprehend, just how strong the RB-19 was. Verstappen, who started on pole, retained his position at turn one.
For the remainder of the race, he was completely unopposed, and coasted towards victory. Alonso, meanwhile, started the race from fifth, and fought his way up to finish third. Aston Martin have definitely made huge strides over the winter break, but in terms of performance, they are still far behind Red Bull.
Fans will certainly hope for a battle with Verstappen and a 41-year-old Alonso, who is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down, despite his ‘old age’.
