The 2023 Formula 1 season started off well for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin, who were strong contenders for podium finishes until roughly halfway through. However, they were unable to keep up with the development pace of rival teams, and their performance clearly declined, resulting in a struggle for secondary positions in the top ten, sometimes with difficulties.
The Spaniard noted, as quoted by grandprix.com, that the season was not negative, on the contrary: ‘It was a good season for us. We didn’t believe it was possible to be ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes, and I’m still ahead of drivers from those teams in the championship. That’s the positive part.’
Despite acknowledging the poor form, Alonso emphasized that the team is reacting with their heads held high and making maximum efforts to turn things around: ‘We’ve had a performance drop in these last races, but we’re trying to recover our level. We have to keep working. We’re trying to do all the tests we can to provide more information to the factory in order to end the bad streak we’re going through.’
And the two-time world champion rejected a bleak scenario amid the gradual fading of performance: ‘It’s difficult, but it’s not a funeral that I see when I come to talk to the press. Sometimes you learn more from difficulties than from celebrations.’
