If Fernando Alonso’s F1 career were a movie, we’re all witnessing the climax of it. The Spaniard’s resurgence has marked a turnaround not only for him but for all of Aston Martin and Lance Stroll since the dynamics have changed drastically since he’s been at the helm as a senior driver. Now, the only scene remaining at the end is him winning at least a race.
And while a race win on the track wouldn’t be easy to come by for Lawrence Stroll and Co., they’ve certainly won a battle off the track in Bahrain. How was that possible when Max Verstappen was the man of the evening? Well, Fernando Alonso’s comeback, also his debut with Aston Martin, boosted the social media numbers of the Lawrence Stroll-led side. It was indeed a show of strength on both ends of the team.
As reported by Vincenzo Landino, last weekend, Aston Martin triumphed over Ferrari and Red Bull in the number of impressions and overall social value worth $3.7 million, holding a margin of $900,000 over third-placed Red Bull. Moreover, in terms of the number of impressions, the gap was over 12 million. Surely it was the Fernando Alonso effect, and there are no deniers of this aspect of his success. The win here was indeed Aston Martin’s, and another podium or a successful run ahead will just strengthen it.
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What’s exciting to see about these figures is the drop in engagement on the Mercedes’ side as they slipped to fourth place, possibly on their worst runs in recent years, both on and off track. However, a resurgence is on the cards here as well.
Fernando Alonso is ready for Saudi Arabia
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99-time podium holder, the 41-year-old Aston Martin driver appears to have the hunger going inside of him in search of the 33rd race win. And with that same hunger, carrying over from Bahrain, he’s demonstrated his readiness for Saudi Arabia.
After finishing both practice sessions in the top 3, Alonso, as quoted by Formula 1, said, “We tested what we wanted to test in the car. I think it’s still not an ideal balance, so we still need to chase a little bit of grip tonight. But so far, so good – it’s another good start.”
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Another podium for Alonso would present him as a top contender for the championship alongside Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Surely, even if he doesn’t bring the glory on the weekend, the numbers will continue to roll in for the team’s socials.