Alonso reminds us of the harsh reality of F1

By announcing the new coronation to come for Max Verstappen during winter testing, the Aston Martin driver undoubtedly let his disappointment and disappointment show. But history (unfortunately) proves him right.

Fernando Alonso has always had a sense of formula, even if it means falling into hyperbole or exaggeration.

And yet, it was difficult not to detect a hint of truth when the double world champion (2005-06) said on the evening of the winter tests in Bahrain: “ in the paddock, there are 19 of us drivers who think that we will not win the championship (2024. Editor’s note) This happens 99% of the time in a career. It's a brutal sport. »

An allusion to the potential displayed by Max Verstappen, three-time defending champion, and its new RB20, whose aggressive lines have dealt a moral blow to the competition. Even if Classic Ferrari for sale and its SF-24 also showed good things, the Austrian team and its Dutch crack are approaching the 2024 campaign in the shoes of the big favorites to succeed them.

The recent history of the Formula 1 teaches us that winter observations (fears?) materialize once the competition begins. The only exception to the rule: 2019, where the Scuderia dominated the pre-season runs with Sebastian Vettel et Charles Leclerc, before being totally eclipsed by the steamroller Mercedes Benz.

Between 2014 and 2018, the brand with the star gave off such an impression of quiet strength that we were not surprised to see them win the Drivers' and Manufacturers' titles over the same period. In 2020, the introduction of DAS (the dual-axis steering which favored the rise in tire temperature) finished off the competition before a historic season of Lewis Hamilton to win his 7th world title.

In 2021, Mercedes seemed to struggle compared to Red Bull, and the campaign gave birth to the best season in the last 15 years.

Since 2022, Red Bull has been going for a walk in winter, and Verstappen confirms the trend immediately. We will tell you that we are never safe from a nice surprise, or that Fernando spoke out of disappointment after a more discreet winter for Aston Martin.

But the Iberian is probably right in crowning Verstappen at the end of February. It should also be noted that Alonso does not believe in the title chances of Sergio Pérez, teammate of who-you-know. At almost 43 years old, Fernando doesn't care about convention and no longer wants to maintain false suspense.

It's true that if we could avoid the Barrichello/Webber/Bottas de Czech… Better than nothing !