Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FERN’S EXHAUSTING RIVALS
FERNANDO ALONSO says hunting down Red Bull is the dream – but keeping the pack in his rear-view mirror is the benchmark for him and a resurgent Aston Martin. The veteran Spanish driver is tearing it up with the Warwickshire-based marque – though behind the dominant Red Bulls. He accepts that catching Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is a very tall order, and his first priority has got to be leaving Mercedes and Ferrari swallowing his exhaust fumes.
That was the result in Miami – and it is reflected in the drivers’ standings, too – with the two-time champion notching up four podium finishes.
He said: “I think it is going to be difficult this season, the gap to Red Bull is quite big.
“But I think, in our last race in Miami, we showed our best pace of the season. Hopefully, on some circuits, we can get a bit closer to them.
“And we do have some updates on the car that might put us in a different, even more competitive, position.
“But our main focus has to be looking behind at Mercedes and Ferrari. We have to try and stay ahead of them in the constructors’ championship.
“We have to accept that Red Bull is doing better than all the other teams and we really have to get much better before we can beat them.” The podium finishes have sparked questions from the media about when, not if, Alonso will receive the chequered flag again.
That made the 41-year-old laugh, but his comeback would be complete if he could.
He added: “If we can continue to beat Ferrari and Mercedes, that’s good. If we can’t keep up with their progression, we’re trying to prepare as best we can for 2024. But we’re experiencing tremendous growth.”