Just a decade has passed since Fernando Alonso fought for the World Cup. It is very premature, and perhaps even excessively optimistic, to think that the Spanish rider could find himself in a similar situation again this season. However, when they are not just the ardent fans of him, but highly respected people in the paddock who contemplate that possibilityIt is because they know how the Asturian spends them.
Fernando fought until the last race in 2012. Unfortunately, he lost the title because events did not play in his favor. The reality is that that car was good, but far from being the best. And he was able to perform the miracle of the loaves and fishes every race. That is precisely the fact why many include him as a candidate for the title. It is that factor that Niki Lauda mentioned when he referred to a special driver like the Spaniard: “Give him a car three to four tenths off the best and he will do the rest.”
illusion and caution
The two-time world champion prefers to be cautious and believes that we still have to wait to find out the real potential there is to set himself a sporting challenge. Specifically until after the third race of the season, at the Australian Grand Prix. “Other years we had two places to shoot in preseason, such as Barcelona and Bahrain. This will be the first time the 2023 cars have rolled outside of Bahrain, so there is much to discover. Friday will be more testing than anything else and we’ll see if we can learn something.”
Indeed, the Jeddah circuit has nothing to do with that of the first race of the season. If Bahrain has the most abrasive asphalt of the season, here the drivers will find the closest thing to a carpet. If 15 days ago the speed and traction cars stood out, here the stability cars in fast curves will stand out. If the Aston Martin performs at a level similar to what we have seen to date on radically different circuits, there are important reasons to dream. Especially when the team expects that the necessary improvements and investment will be lacking.
“He (owner Lawrence Stroll) has a vision of having a winning team in the future. It doesn’t matter what it takes, what it costs or what it takes,” Fernando said of his boss. “When you have an idea in mind, it usually succeeds. That’s what makes it interesting to have a leader like him, because you know you’re going to have everything you need and that the team is in good hands.”
race to race
Fernando can see in the brightness of his eyes the illusion that they will count on him again as one of the pilots to take into account. Likewise, he wants to shorten the euphoria and see the evolution in the Simeone way, circuit by circuit and race by race. “After Bahrain I had a week to reflect a bit and accept everything that happened and to face this race with great enthusiasm. The objective for this weekend is to stay focused, keep everything simple, not complicate life or try strange things For us it is an important test, because we don’t know if the car will perform as well as it did in Bahrain.”
The star driver of Aston Martin does well to be cautious, because if Ferrari and Mercedes were ahead of his team, it should not be interpreted as a step back. In pure speed they were at a very similar level and the slight superiority of the green cars over their closest rivals today was mainly due to their ability to wear their tires much less. That advantage will not be given here and it will be key to get the strategy right to obtain a good result. Normally, in Jeddah you can do the race with a single stop, but the very probable appearance of a safety car It will favor the teams most used to fighting for victories.
For all this, the Spaniard assumes that both Ferrari and Mercedes could be stronger than 15 days ago. “Surely both will improve, they are very big and very solid teams. Ferrari will be faster for sure because in Bahrain they were very good in fast corners and on long straights, just what this circuit needs. And Mercedes the same, they were close on Saturday and in the race, they are strong structures used to fighting in the lead and they will improve here”. A race and a podium were enough for the alonsomania. The expectation to know how far you can dream in 2023 is maximum.
Just a decade has passed since Fernando Alonso fought for the World Cup. It is very premature, and perhaps even excessively optimistic, to think that the Spanish rider could find himself in a similar situation again this season. However, when they are not just the ardent fans of him, but highly respected people in the paddock who contemplate that possibilityIt is because they know how the Asturian spends them.
