Fernando Alonso believes victory is still achievable at Aston Martin, as the team aims to rectify its mistakes for the 2024 season. For the Spaniard, this year could define his chances of winning in Formula 1 again.
Alonso’s move to Aston Martin surpassed all expectations, securing more podiums and top 5 finishes than most people anticipated. This made his union with Team Silverstone one of the feel-good stories of last season.
However, it cannot be said that last year went smoothly for Aston. As the F1 world is well aware, the British team fell behind mid-season and lost their early competitiveness.
In the upcoming 2024 season, there will be far less margin for error. Mercedes and Ferrari were forced on the defensive last season after failing to take steps forward over winter.
This contributed to Aston Martin’s early initiative. Team Silverstone cannot count on this happening again, especially with McLaren now emerging as a top team.
Fernando Alonso’s hopes of winning another race in Formula 1 are unclear, especially given the AMR23’s late struggles.
The Double World Champion will count on his team to have a smoother development path this winter. With this in mind, Alonso is cautiously optimistic about 2024:
“When we hit the track in winter testing or race one next year, I think we will see how things are and be very open with whatever targets we set for the championship.
“We will hopefully be competitive again, fighting for regular points and podiums, hopefully for our first win – that would be the dream.
“But we cannot underestimate the challenge.”
Cautious optimism is perhaps Aston’s best approach for the coming weeks and months. It would be misleading to suggest they are favourites to win races in 2024.
Many suspect they could fall behind the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari. However, this might be the kind of expectation the team prefers.
As last year demonstrated, staying at the front is a greater challenge than making a forward step and getting there.
Therefore, Mike Krack’s personnel have an opportunity to go under the radar and prove they are a force to be reckoned with.
