Fernando Alonso makes surprising statement on season goals

Fernando Alonso on the podium in Zandvoort — Photo: © LAT Images

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Alonso makes surprising statement on season goals

Alonso enjoyed a 'surprising' start to the 2023 season but has since tailed off

Cal Gaunt

Monday 2 October 2023 19:57

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Fernando Alonso's performances this season have surprised many, even the veteran driver himself.

At the outset, with six podium finishes in the first eight races, the Spaniard briefly appeared to be a contender for P2 in the drivers' championship.

However, the double world champion's fortunes took a downturn in the subsequent eight races, yielding only one podium finish and a slip to fourth place in the championship.

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To make matters worse, he now faces competition from Ferrari drivers who could potentially overtake him in the standings.

This decline can be attributed in part to Aston Martin's gradual decline, as they struggled to keep pace with the relentless development of the established front-runners.

Alonso wants to see Aston Martin push for race wins in 2024

Alonso: We want the next step

Reflecting on his season so far, Alonso said that he never envisioned achieving the results that he has in 2023 when he initially joined the team.

“To be honest, to be fighting for podiums and things like that, I think it was a little bit too optimistic,” he told Channel 4.

“But we found ourselves in a very strong position in Bahrain with a car that was performing really well and it was a nice surprise to have such a competitive car.

“So now we want more - we want the next step, which is fighting for race wins. Red Bull was very dominant this year but, next year, hopefully, we can do that step.”