Aston Martin have been the surprise team of 2023 so far, going from seventh in the championship last season to finishing on the podium in the first race of the season.
Fernando Alonso’s podium finish was no fluke either, as the Spaniard passed Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Carlos Sainz on the way to his P3 finish.
Aston Martin have been gathering a pool of talented individuals from the top teams in recent years, with former Red Bull head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows being one of the more high-profile acquisitions.
The team look to be the second fastest team on the grid with regards to race pace, with Ferrari’s tyre degradation seeing them struggle at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite their strong qualifying.
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While Max Verstappen and Red Bull look to be the undoubted favourites for the championship once again this season, the Dutchman has not ruled out Fernando Alonso winning a race this season.
“I hope so for Fernando because he has had a few years where there was not really a possibility to fight at the front,” he said.
“At Aston Martin, they really have the spirit and drive. They want to win and they’ve hired a lot of good people, so I guess it can only get better for them.
“For this year, it’s difficult to say if they’re going to challenge for the championship, but race wins are definitely on the table.”
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Alonso has aged like a fine wine in Formula 1, with the Spaniard somehow defying his age to be at the top of the game at the age of 41.
The Aston Martin driver is at the start of a two-year contract with the team and former F1 driver Mark Webber has tipped Alonso to extend this deal, with the Spaniard’s talent and desire allowing him to continue to race into his mid-40s.
With Red Bull looking head and shoulders above the rest of the grid so far this season, Aston Martin will hope to become regulars on the podium this year, with their first race win in F1 clearly being on the cards this year.