Despite Locked in Battle With Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso Aims for an Elusive Opportunity Against Max Verstappen Too

After the 2007 season, few would have thought that Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton would still struggle for the podium on the racetracks! The Spaniard now heads into the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with a nineteen-point lead over the Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the battle for third. If all goes well for Mercedes after the upgrades, the two veterans could contend for wins in a few races of the season. 

However, this time the former McLaren duo is far from fighting for the Championship. Although if there were any hopes that the Aston Martin superstar would win a race or two this season, Max Verstappen’s relentless rise through the field in the recent Miami GP dispelled that notion. But after claiming the fourth podium in the Miami Grand Prix, Alonso ‘wants more’ than a third finish, and he’s just looking for the right opportunity to achieve that. 

While the Aston Martin driver is already battling with Hamilton to keep his third place, he also has big hopes to beat Max Verstappen when the time arrives. This makes Verstappen and Hamilton his biggest competitors at the moment.

Speaking about the same, Alonso said, “He[Hamilton] is one of the legends of our sport. He further added: “The same goes for Max right now, he seems untouchable. Red Bull is fast and he doesn’t make mistakes, so I’d like to fight him one day. It’s hard to see any weakness in his driving right now, so it’s hard to find a weakness. It’s the same for Lewis. It takes a special weekend to beat them. That’s what really motivates everyone.” 

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Fernando Alonso is the only driver who consistently made it to the podium other than the Red Bulls. But neither Aston Martin nor Fernando Alonso wants to get complacent. 

Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso aiming for ‘more’

Who wouldn’t love an underdog climbing to the top? In the 2023 Formula 1 season, it is the Aston Martin. After finishing the Championship in seventh-place last season, even a podium was not on the radar for the team in 2023. But now, Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin may be the best race performers this year after claiming four podiums in five Grand Prix this season. 

After consistent success on the track, Alonso admitted that his team’s outlook on success is changing. He said: “I think at the beginning of the year a podium was amazing. Now after four podiums we want obviously more, and at least a second place”. Although the Red Bulls look unbeatable at the moment, Alonso is optimistic. “The two Red Bulls are always unbreakable, and they are always super fast. But as I said maybe Monaco, maybe Barcelona we have a possibility,” he said. 

Although unexpected at the beginning of the season, Aston Martin stands second in the Constructors Championships, with 102 points behind the elusive Red Bulls with 224 points.  

Watch this story: How Aston Martin F1 Turned Around From a Struggling Mid-Field Team to Being the 2nd Fastest in 2023

Where do you think Fernando Alonso would finish the 2023 season in the driver’s championship standings?