Alonso expects tough first races with Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso Did he get carried away too soon? His adventure with Alpine barely finished, the Spaniard said he was eager to be in “the green car” which he later praised after testing it during end-of-season testing in Abu Dhabi last November. We obviously had to see a bit of derision from the Asturian, he who never hesitated to send barbs to his former teams when it was time for a change of scenery.

But a few months after Abu Dhabi, the situation seems to have changed slightly for the Asturian Bull. Indeed, while he said that “the green car” was very fast, Fernando Alonso took precautions when discussing this new adventure with Aston Martin.

Alonso finally not ready?

Ahead of the presentation of the AMR23, the double world champion indicated that it will take him time to get to grips with his new mount. In question ? Reduced winter testing and therefore shorter preparation work than usual, even to the point of already planning for the future, but also a big gap to make up for Aston Martin in the peloton.

« I think you have to have your feet on the ground, recognizes the former pilot Alpine. We must understand that there are no miracles in Formula 1 from one year to the next. It's only been a few months since Abu Dhabi, and there's a big gap to close with the top teams. We must, if possible, be in the middle of the table and get closer to the three leading teams.

The most important thing for me this year is simply to ensure that this car and this base are the ones on which we develop future Aston Martins. Last year the package was having difficulties, as we all saw from the outside. I think the team reviewed a few things during the season and made a lot of progress at the end of the year."

Recruited to allow Aston Martin to finally take off after two lackluster first years, Fernando Alonso finally calms things down. If he still dreams of placing a third world crown on his head, the Asturian knows that his start to year will not be easy for different reasons.

« I expect some tough races until we find the ideal operating window for the car and set-up, he points. During the first five or six races at Alpine, I had a lot of trouble feeling the front axle, with different settings on the power steering, all those things. This year we only have a day and a half of testing in Bahrain (February 23-25). So I am aware that I will not be 100% either in Bahrain or in Jeddah, maybe not even in Australia. Maybe that's a little unfair. I believe it's the only sport in the world where you do a day and a half of testing before participating in a World Championship. » Fernando Alonso in its purest form.

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