Fernando Alonso is pleased with Aston Martin’s consistently high level of performance in 2023 – but remains realistic about the likelihood of closing the gap to Red Bull this season.
Aston Martin has disrupted the established order this year, making a huge step forward with the AMR23 and capitalising on the relatively unimpressive progress made over winter by Mercedes and Ferrari.
The British outfit has taken podiums in 4/5 races this year, with Alonso maximising his package and leading the team to unknown territory.
However, whilst podiums and top 5 finishes should be celebrated, a driver of Alonso’s calibre will inevitably hope for another forward step that can push the team to the highest step of the podium.
Team boss Lawrence Stroll has also expressed this ambition, asking team principal Mike Krack when it will be possible to fight for victory.
Speaking after the Miami GP, Fernando Alonso was realistic about the likelihood of catching Red Bull this season:
“I think this year is going to be difficult. The gap is quite big, even though I think today has been our best race pace yet in the season.
“We finish, I think, closest to the leaders, no safety cars, nothing in the race, and we’re still quite fast. So let’s see.
“I think the season is going to be long. Hopefully some of the tracks we will be a little bit closer to them.
“And some of the upgrades that we will bring later in the season maybe put us in a different or more competitive position.
“But I think our main focus, to be honest, is just looking behind and trying to keep Mercedes and Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship under control.
“But I think Red Bull, we have to accept they are doing a better job than everyone else, and we need to do a better job.”
Red Bull are clearly the team to beat in F1, but it seems unlikely they will be caught this season.
Their two most obvious challengers, Mercedes and Ferrari, have quite blatant weaknesses that will make it difficult to make substantial gains – at least relative to Red Bull.
Several updates should be introduced at the upcoming Imola GP, which could level the playing field, but Fernando Alonso’s more pessimistic analysis seems appropriate for the current pecking order in F1.
