Alonso: Everything is too good to be true!

Fernando Alonso became one of the main characters of the weekend in Bahrain – and I’m sure the next one will be even better…

Q: Fernando, great race. In Bahrain you climbed the podium for the 99th time in your career. How nice is this moment for you?
Fernando Alonso: A good start to our project. We didn’t expect to be so competitive. Our goal in 2023 was to compete in the middle group of teams, possibly at the top of this group, to eventually get closer to the top three teams. We didn’t even think about the podium in 2023. And in Bahrain they came second to Red Bull.

A bit unexpected. But we are proud of this result, which was the result of the work of all our employees at the Silverstone base. I congratulate them on this achievement. Let’s enjoy this moment and keep working in the hope of a good season in which we can get closer to the top teams.

Q: Do you want to rethink your expectations after this weekend?
Fernando Alonso: Let’s see. After the tests, I thought to myself that everything is too good to be true. And I waited for the first Grand Prix to bring us back to reality. But in Bahrain it turned out that everything is real.

Let’s look at Jeddah. It’s interesting for me to perform in Jeddah and in Australia – these are very different tracks. In Bahrain, we were strong in aspects that we might not find in Jeddah and Australia. But if we are strong in the next two races then the 2023 season could be successful.

Q: What can you say about the battle with Hamilton and Sainz?
Fernando Alonso: I liked it because I finished in the front. It always happens when you overtake. But yes, we say it all the time, but when you’re fighting in the standings, against these great racers, there’s always more adrenaline.

I didn’t want to make a mistake or make contact because it wasn’t about fighting for 12th place, when you have nothing to lose – this time we were fighting for big points. And yes, I was happy. And the car was very pleasant to drive. This was probably our strong point in testing.

Question: In the first round you had contact with a partner…
Fernando Alonso: Yes, in the fourth turn. I thought it was George, but I watched the replay and realized it was Lance. He started really well, sat next to me in the fourth corner. We were lucky that both cars suffered no damage and were able to continue their journey.

Q: Fernando, does your car have weaknesses that need improvement? Did we hear you talk about the need to avoid the curb? Are you concerned about this?
Fernando Alonso: No. But for me the situation was comfortable so I slowed down and told the team I could go faster but I avoided the curbs and just brought the car home.

There are a few areas where we need to improve, but I won’t go into that. Now the most important thing – our new project, a new car, a new Aston Martin – this is just the beginning.

It’s not the last car, it’s just the first version of the concept we’ve been working on over the winter. In Red Bull and Ferrari, we finished the last project, we made a new project, changing 95% of the car. We still have a lot to do. I have complete confidence in our team, they know what they are doing. Let’s hope for further progress in the near future.

Q: Tell us how you overtook Lewis in Turn 10?
Fernando Alonso: We weren’t very fast on the straight. Usually you overtake in the first or fourth corner here, but I passed Lewis in tenth and Carlos in eleventh. Not really the usual overtaking spots, but we couldn’t match their speed in a straight line.

So yes, I had to change gears several times before the 10th and 11th turns, change the trajectory – and overtake. I think it was unexpected for Lewis because no one is overtaking in Turn 10. And then it happened again with Carlos, but already in the 11th.