Fernando Alonso closes this weekend in Abu Dhabi the first chapter of his adventure with Aston Martin, which began in March in Bahrain well above general expectations and has ended with less luster than it promised then, although with eight podiums that elevate The Asturian driver’s personal account has risen to 106 after two decades in F1 and a fifth place for the Silverstone team in the Constructors’ World Championship.
With lights and shadows, Fernando He is convinced that 2023 has been one of his best seasons and he is convinced that the next season, which he will face at 42 years old, can be even more positive. “I am very happy with the personal level. Together with 2012, it is the best season for me in terms of driving,” Alonso assessed to the press upon his arrival at the Yas Marina circuit.
“The races in Bahrain, Monaco, Canada, Monza and Brazil are my top-5. I include Monza on purpose because it was a ninth place that no one will remember, but we probably had the slowest car, or the second slowest, and to be in the points we needed a perfect weekend. In Zandvoort the car was very good”, commented Fernando, who once again regretted not having been able to delight his fans with the famous 33rd victory.
“It was possible, probably Monaco was when it was closest. With a different decision on the tires. Maybe in Zandvoort, if we had had a different position at the start. We had opportunities and we deserved them,” he considers.
In any case, the two-time Spanish champion prefers to make a positive reading of his first season dressed in green: “Problems are part of this team’s journey. We started very strong with a car that was surprisingly competitive even for us. We found ourselves in a position that perhaps we were not prepared for, fighting against Mercedes or Ferrari. We took a step back with the development of the car, we are not at a top level yet, but in general I think that a year ago the season we had was unthinkable. I remember the test here perfectly. If someone told me then that we were going to be in this situation, he would not have believed them.”
Convinced to continue
Alonso has a current contract with Aston Martin for 2024 and could continue even beyond that date: “Motivation comes with results. Even if you have enormous determination, the results must come in the medium or long term. Be competitive, know that a A perfect weekend offers possibilities of a podium or victory, it gives you a different focus and love for the things you do,” he emphasizes.
“If I’m slow, I’ll be the first one to raise my hand and walk away. But I don’t think that will happen, honestly. I have extreme confidence in myself. Yes, it may be that with such a demanding schedule, one day you will feel that the time has come. There are more things in life. This has been a very demanding season with 22 races and two cancellations, next year we will have to see 24 races on the calendar. Those types of things will drain my battery, but not driving,” Alonso warned.
2023-11-23 13:37:48
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