Not every race is as good as Bahrain for Aston

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Max Verstappen doesn’t think Fernando Alonso is a contender for the world title in 2023, but he certainly believes the 41-year-old Aston Martin veteran is capable of winning: in the position Fernando is in now That is, in some races I was 20 to 40 seconds short of the winner. You can still win two or three races a year because there are some tracks that fit your car and where everything fits. If you get a little lucky in those, you can win.”

Alonso finished fifth in qualifying in Bahrain, 0.6 seconds behind Verstappen on pole and also behind the two Ferraris. However, in racing trim Aston Martin was not the third force but the second, mainly because of much less tire wear than Ferrari’s. In the end, Alonso passed Carlos Sainz and finished third.

However, Verstappen was 38.6 seconds short after 57 laps, each with a pit stop strategy. This corresponds to approximately 0.7 seconds per lap. Verstappen drove C3-C3-C1, Alonso C3-C1-C1. “You definitely have a really strong package,” Verstappen shows his respect for the new competition, but also says: “Now it’s about constantly developing the car.”

Jeddah is a completely different road than Zakher

However, it remains to be seen if Aston Martin can be as competitive on all tracks as it is in Bahrain. Bahrain is a tire killer because of its rough asphalt and high temperatures, and it’s also a fairly heavy track. It’s different in Saudi Arabia, where the second Grand Prix of the year will be held on March 19th. Jeddah is more front-heavy.

Therefore, Ralf Schumacher is “absolutely convinced that there will now be races where they simply cannot get the grip potential from tyres,” says the Sky expert in one Interview on Formel1.de YouTube channel. (Subscribe to the channel now for free and don’t miss any reviews from Ralf Schumacher!)

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“Nevertheless, they are the second force at the moment,” says Schumacher. This applies to Ferrari and Mercedes “to beat sometimes. Also in consistency. And what I also noticed: at the end of the race, with less fuel, Alonso was very strong. So there is more potential there.”

One of the main characteristics of the Aston Martin AMR23, at least early in the season, seems to be that it’s particularly gentle on the tyres. This was already evident in the winter testing, and the impression was confirmed in the race on Sunday. The quality of raising tires to temperature quickly to qualify may be lacking.

“They have a very good car,” thought Sergio Perez, Red Bull driver. “I’m sure they will challenge us on some tracks. And the Formula 1 season is long, anything can happen. So I’m happy for Fernando and Aston. It’s good to see them up front.”