Alonso on winning at Aston Martin: 'I am honest about it, not this year'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Fernando Alonso is looking forward to his new adventure at Aston Martin. The 41-year-old driver who came over from Alpine this winter sees great potential with his new employer. Alonso thinks winning may be a bit difficult this season, but 2023 should lay a good foundation for the following year. The objective is to lead the midfield, he says.
"I think we have to have both feet on the ground, we have to understand that in Formula 1 there are no miracles from one year to the next. It has only been a few months since Abu Dhabi and there is a big gap to close with the top teams," Alonso interjected to, among others GPblog. "We definitely, preferably leading the midfield, need to get closer to the three teams in front. The most important thing for me this year is just to make sure we lay a foundation with this car with which we can develop the future Aston Martin cars."
Alonso does not see much chance of wins in 2023
Alonso still dreams of victories in Formula 1. He also thinks it is definitely a possibility in the future with Aston Martin. "I do think there is a possibility. I don't think this year, I'm honest about that. I won't say to anyone that we will fight for wins this year, I would be lying if I did, but at the same time, as I said, we want to have a good car at the start that we can develop further during the season."
There are more opportunities in the second half of the season than in the first, the two-time world champion believes. "Maybe we can get closer after the summer. If an opportunity arises, if conditions change, if there is something when the opportunity arises, we won't miss it. But in the beginning, I expect some difficult races until we know how the car works and what set-up we have to work with."
Few testing opportunities
Whereas last year there were six testing days ahead of new season, in 2023 there will be only three. It means that all drivers will only have a day and a half to get used to the new car. Alonso sees a limitation in this, as last year he had a lot of trouble finding the right balance in the first five to six races.
"This year we test even less, so I know I won't be 100 per cent, not in Jeddah, maybe also in Australia. So that's a bit unfair. I mean, I think this is the only sport where you train for a day and a half in winter and then compete for a world championship," the Spaniard concluded his story.