The hour of truth has come. After three months of waiting the F1 Curtain opens this weekend in Bahrainthe only test batch of the pre-season was held last week and eyes open Fernando Alonso and the brand new Aston MartiNO. The performance of the AMR23 has set high expectations and in Bahrain this needs to be achieved with results.

The Asturian driver has made his life a race, and despite the intervening years, he has not lost his hunger to compete. After two years of not getting the performance or results he expected at Alpine, start a new challenge. Fernando adventures with the Silverstone team to lead very ambitious projectIt is in a structure that has entered the process of change with the construction of a new factory and a new wind tunnel.

pre-season aston martin aroused enthusiasm and large doses of hope and optimism. As with the rest of the grid, it will take a few races to get the most out of the car, but Alonso showed speed, consistency and reliability on Sakhir. The third and final day of the test ended with a long race simulation that attracted the attention of not only the press but all of its competitors. One thing seems clear The AMR23 is very different from its predecessor and evolves accordingly.

good vibes

Word of mouth spreads about the possibilities of Fernando’s new car. Many, especially his rivals, see him as a serious podium contender at the Bahrain GP, ​​which will take place on Sunday, March 5 at 16:00. The two-time Spanish champion worked like clockwork in the three-day test – he rode alone on Saturday and alternated with Drugovich on Thursday and Saturday – and one of the most notable aspects was that the tire wear was better than before. The team itself is awaited.

Time didn’t reflect those good feelings, but at this point it didn’t matter as there was no control over the weight, fuel load and condition of the tires used – yes the compounds – and some and some had their doubts. the others have not yet dispersed. Checo Pérez was fastest in control of the Red Bull and Fernando Alonso finished ninth with a reference time of 1:31,450.

The data show that andThey are less than half a second behind Red Bull’s pace in qualifying. and predicting in less than a second in racing simulations that grand prix performance could be better because the car’s tire wear is lower.

On the other hand, it’s worth highlighting the Asturian’s quick adaptation to its new environment, with a car that apparently reacted positively to the changes made, combined with some quick laps. stunning parties, that part of the paddock Alonso is just behind the big three and very close to Mercedes to face the first race.

The most important question Aston Martin asks for the Bahrain GP is who will accompany Fernando Alonso. Lance Stroll has already missed the Sakhir test after he had to undergo surgery following a cycling accident in Spain. and the team announced that if the Canadian is not eligible, the reserve driver will be Silverstone reserve Felipe Drugovich along with Stoffel Vandoorne, dispelling rumors pointing to the possible return of Sebastian Vettel.

positive solutions

On the balance of the test, Fernando Alonso said, “It was a very positive day for the team.. Now we have to get the car for the first race of the week as quickly as possible, but we don’t have enough time to test it so we think we still have a long way to go than the AMR23. We are progressing step by step and the team is working non-stop.”.

Asturian regretted not being able to trust Lance Stroll during testing as the car’s development would be faster and said, “We were hurt by not being able to trust Lance. Some of my comments or feelings about the car are in a new team and a new car we don’t know if it’s me or an Aston Martin issue that he can spot too. “Those are things like brake pedals or power steering, I don’t know if it’s hereditary or new, I hope it’s between us as soon as possible.”

Finally, on the positive side, “the car felt good for three days. We did quite a few different experiments and came up with positive solutions. It turned out that we needed to change our philosophy compared to last year’s car and that was a cause for concern. we will need some races to optimize the whole packageAnd”.

Alonso’s numerous struggles

Fernando Alonso embarks on a new challenge in 2023. And like the previous ones, it won’t be easy at all. 22 years after making his debut with Minardi, Asturian faces its twentieth season in Formula 1 with a completely revamped team to make a quality leap on the grid.

At 41, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid and holds the record for the longest career in Formula 1, and is the driver for the most Grand Prix appearances in the category’s history (356). Since returning to F1 in 2021 after a hiatus between 2018 and 2020, he’s been accumulating other records: He is the driver with the most laps and the most kilometers in an F1 car.