Fernando Alonso finds himself in a very privileged, yet peculiar position this year. While the meteoric rise of Aston Martin in 2023 has come as a welcome surprise for many, no one will be happier than 2x champion, Alonso. This is partly because he finally has a car to showcase his unimaginably superior racing talent. But partly also because this is the first legitimate time he has made a career decision that has not blown up in his face. Some would say, it’s time for vindication.
The illustrious career of Fernando Alonso has been dotted with him being the underdog. Always had the talent, but never the acumen or the car. Now, he seems to have both. Yet, by his own admission, he knows he has many detractors. People inside the F1 paddock and people outside will always judge him, and underestimate him and his team.
Fernando Alonso silences his critics
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Alonso can be proud of his Aston Martin team, and he is. Monaco will be the first real opportunity for the AMR23 to show it’s true colors with its cornering capabilities. However, the Spaniard is wary that many people are just waiting for his bubble to burst.
Aston Martin’s supremacy in 2023 is surprising. Hence, it can also be short-lived. Alonso doesn’t seem to mind though. When asked about it, he said, “For us it’s just a gift where we are. You know, we didn’t expect to be in this position, so we just race every Sunday calmly without pressure.”
But when quizzed about how people have been underestimating the team and just waiting for their downfall, he retorted, “They did already – they do every weekend,” as quoted by Pitbrief.com. Would he care to elaborate on this fiery statement? “No.” says the 41-year-old.
While Alonso is supremely confident in his team, he knows that expectations will have to be managed.
Alonso paints a realistic 2023 picture
While Aston Martin have been enjoying their day in the sun, Mercedes and Ferrari have been working hard to claw back some performance. Mercedes will be bringing major upgrades to the Monaco GP weekend. However, is Alonso worried by this prospect?
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He revealed, “If we can still outscore them [Mercedes] on Sunday, that’s good news. If we can’t, because we cannot follow their progress that they are making, you know, we will prepare for 2024 the best way possible.”
But we are growing as a team, you know, we are in a position that we didn’t expect with a very fast car, and we are trying to make the team strong in you know the other areas that we’re still not maybe at the highest level.”
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