Alonso: “2023 will be my best season along with 2012”

Fernando Alonso will always remember the 2023 Formula 1 season as one of the most special of his career. After many years without a steering wheel that would allow him to continue to fight for the podium, and above all, after returning to Formula 1 after his successful season in the World Endurance Championship, the Dakar and other races, the man from Oviedo found himself at the start in a surprising Aston Martin that took a huge step forward and allowed it to fight for the box from the first race and regularly in the early part of the season. The man from Oviedo took advantage of this with great personal performances, even pushing Max Verstappen until the last thousand in Monaco, where the man from Oviedo was left without his long-awaited 33rd victory in F1 due to a final strategic decision of the team during the race that did not favor him. when riding on medium tires instead of rain.

Whenever Fernando Alonso had a podium car, he took advantage of it with no mistakes and a perfect weekend. And when his car was close, he maximized his performance, taking advantage of the delicate track conditions to gain the tenths he was missing and achieve the desired podium, as happened in Canada, the Netherlands and Brazil, who achieved a total of 8 podiums in 21 races held. until this weekend.

For this reason, before the last Grand Prix of the year in Abu Dhabi, despite the mid-year decline of the team, when taking stock in 2023, the Spaniard did not hesitate to highlight that this year is one among the best in terms of personal actions.

“I am happy with my personal performances. With the 2012 season, 2023 is the best for me, I consider it the best of my driving. I am happy with everything and motivated,” he said before the Abu Dhabi GP. F1 2023, in statements reported by international media present, such as ‘Motorsport.com’. Alonso did not hesitate to compare this year to 2012 where, with an inferior car, he came close to the title against Vettel with the superior Red Bull, fighting until the last appointment with the German despite having less weapon

In his best career, he even chose Monza, making it clear that his best performances don’t always have to end in great results that sparkle in the eye. “Bahrain, Monaco, Canada, Monza and Brazil, they will be my five best races, and I will put Monza on purpose because I was ninth, something that nobody will remember, but I did it in the slowest car. And riding me. The podiums were one of those weekends where everything went well,” he commented.

Alonso started the course with a podium car and that’s why he won 6 out of 8 possible places. Starting from Barcelona, ​​​​​​the better development of rivals with more oil factories and with more experience, facing an Aston Martin in full renewal and in full growth with the desire to be one of the biggest teams, which Alonso did not have a car capable of constantly fighting for podiums.

“I think we started very strong, the car was surprisingly competitive, and then we found ourselves in a position where we were not ready to fight, against top teams like Mercedes or Ferrari. Maybe we retreated in terms of progress throughout the season, we weren’t at the level of the best, but then we got back to our form a little bit,” commented the Oviedo driver.

After Aston Martin’s impressive start to 2023, the team has warned that the biggest challenge will be to keep up with the year’s development race with big factories such as Ferrari or Mercedes. The green team has found itself outmatched by groups with more experience in that aspect and still hasn’t fully greased its gears with an impressive new factory inaugurated in the middle of the year, and is still waiting also for the creation of a new wind tunnel and a new simulator , components that should improve Aston Martin’s processes in the coming years.

“I think it was unthinkable twelve months ago that we would be where we are today. I remember the test here (Abu Dhabi 2022), after the race, with the team, and if someone told me that I would be in this position. , I wouldn’t believe it. , so it’s very good,” he argued, making a very positive assessment of his first year at Aston Martin.

In 2023, Alonso achieved 8 podiums and reached the final race fighting head-to-head with Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Lando Norris (McLaren) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) for fourth place in the Drivers’ World Championship and with Aston Martin is just 11 points clear of McLaren’s fourth place in the Constructors’ World Championship. In Abu Duabi, he could start with fewer weapons than Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes. He will continue to strive to end the year in the best possible position and has the best hopes for 2024, with Alonso reiterating that he hopes the team will take another big step like it did last winter in creating a new this car. ..