Fernando Alonso was celebrated with intense emotion as he lifted the cup, clenched his fist, and Let out a triumphant cry. In Brazil, he returned to the podium after seven races in which Aston Martin had seemed to stall. The team finally produced a competitive car again, and the Asturian driver seized the moment, elevating himself to the podium once more. He outpaced Checo Pérez’s Red Bull for 15 laps and staged a late overtake on the final lap, finishing just 0.053 seconds ahead. It stood as one of Alonso’s finest passes of the season, but far from the only one.
With two races remaining in the championship, the Spaniard’s form remained outstanding, yielding eight podiums and a longing for victory that stayed just out of reach. His five most memorable passes in 2023 are listed below:
1. Overtaking Lewis Hamilton in Canada
As eight laps remained, Hamilton defended hard. Alonso radioed his team, saying, “Leave this to me.” The request was granted. The Spaniard closed the gap to Hamilton, and in a final surge, executed a bold outside-inside move on the long straight in front of the wall of champions. By relying on DRS at the crucial moment, Alonso sealed the overtake and finished second to the dominant Max Verstappen. The maneuver earned him the prestigious best overtake award for June in Formula 1.
“DO WHAT YOU WANT, FERNANDO Alonso!!!!!” was the rallying cry from fans as the moment unfolded. Open to interpretation, Alonso’s hunger was evident. He remained eager, and the rest of the season bore that out. What a display of pace and positioning became a widely shared sentiment on social media and in race-day commentary.
— DAZN Spain commentary on the Canadian race.
2. To Carlos Sainz in Baku (Azerbaijan)
In Azerbaijan, the track that did not reward Aston Martin with a podium on that occasion, Alonso still pushed hard, finishing fourth behind Pérez, Verstappen, and Leclerc. The Oviedo-born driver crafted a brilliant late-race maneuver to overtake Carlos Sainz for fourth after the Safety Car restart on lap 14. As the red Ferrari flashed by, Alonso’s tight line at Turn 4 allowed him to snare the position, maintaining his advantage into the final stretches of the April race.
“WHAT INSANITY!” echoed from the pits alongside celebratory clips as fans witnessed Alonso’s audacious pass of Sainz. The moment quickly circulated in reels and highlights across social platforms, with DAZN Spain confirming the dramatic sequence.
3. A Bahrain overtaking against Hamilton
“It wasn’t that hard,” Alonso quipped about the late-race overtake of Hamilton. Yet the strategic significance behind the move was multi-layered. This season opener signaled the return of the Aston Martin–Alonso pairing as a force to be reckoned with, following seasons with Alpine and McLaren. With a more responsive car and fresher tires, Alonso threaded the inside line at Turn 10 to complete the pass just before the straight, then went on to overtake Sainz a few laps later to claim one of eight podium finishes and the month’s best overtaking accolade.
“What a work of art by Fernando Alonso with Hamilton,” proclaimed a post-race clip, capturing the dramatic moment in Bahrain. The clip circulated across social media, underscoring the race’s memorable overtaking artistry.
4. Double overtaking at Zandvoort
The Zandvoort circuit was still damp, and the scene felt urgent from the start. In free practice, faster cars sliced through, but Alonso found a surprising grip advantage going into the banked corner. When the lights went out, he executed a daring double move, overtaking both Alex Albon and George Russell in one decisive sweep, advancing from fifth to third at Turn Three. After the break, Alonso clawed back to second, standing on the podium behind Verstappen for his seventh podium of the year—an impressive early-season tally.
“HELLO, GOOD EVENING—Alonso is TOTALLY CRAZY!” captured fan commentary as the race unfolded, with clips circulating across social feeds and race-coverage channels.
5. A pivotal overtake on Checo Pérez in Brazil
The Brazil race brought a tense, competitive edge. Alonso, initially constrained by the car’s recent form, found himself surrounded by Verstappen and Norris as the race wore on. Pérez, with a faster Red Bull and the advantage of DRS, began to close the gap. Alonso remained in contention, eventually entering the final stages with the hope of challenging for a podium. In a critical late-lap twist, Alonso capitalized on a slight misstep by Pérez as he approached the finish, pulling a late outside pass with the aid of DRS to secure an edge of 0.053 seconds. The result was a podium finish of rare significance after a long stretch without a top-three finish for the team, marking a breakthrough moment amidst a difficult period.
The Brazil performance reinforced Alonso’s status as a driver who can seize opportunities when the car aligns with his instincts. It also underscored the persistence and strategic patience that have defined his late-season pushes and his ongoing battle for championship contention.