F1 Bahrain GP: “Don’t care. Alonso made podium” – Fans react to Max Verstappen’s 2023 season opener win

Fans loved the return of the 41-year-old on the podium while Max Verstappen continues his dominance.


F1 Bahrain GP: “Don’t care. Alonso made podium” – Fans react to Max Verstappen’s 2023 season opener win

Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen

The first round of the 2023 season is over. Max Verstappen has emerged victorious at the season opener in Bahrain. As Red Bull Racing continued their dominance from 2022 with a 1-2 finish. The Dutchman got off to a flying start from Pole position and got himself an impressive lead. Fernando Alonso lit up throughout the race as the Spanish driver brought home the British team’s first podium under the Aston Martin name.

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The first lap was relatively clean apart from an incident between the Aston Martins. Lance Stroll almost got Fernando Alonso a puncture but the two cars got away without any harm. The Ferraris tried to give the Austrian team a run for its money but Charles Leclerc was forced to retire in the latter half of the race. McLaren’s woes continued on Sunday as the team called Oscar Piastri back to the pits to retire. While Lando Norris kept trying new sets of tires with multiple pitstops.

Esteban Ocon had a nightmare of a race at the Bahrain GP. The Frenchman kept receiving time penalties for not ‘correctly’ following the previous penalties before finally retiring the car. But the star of the show was Fernando Alonso. The 41-year-old drove beautifully against his former teammate Lewis Hamilton. Before, even overtaking the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz for the final spot on the podium. It is no surprise that Alonso got voted as the driver of the day.

In the end, it was the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen who comfortably brought the car home in the first place. Sergio Perez trailed behind his teammate for P2 while Fernando Alonso got his 99th F1 podium. Sainz carried the flag for the Scuderia in fourth place. While Lance Stroll was sandwiched between the two Mercedes in P6. Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon took up the final points-scoring positions respectively.

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Fans glad to see Fernando Alonso’s stunning drive

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The Spanish driver drove magnificently against his competitors on track

Fans on Twitter were amazed to see the Spanish driver return to the podium. One user simply ignored Verstappen’s race win and focused on the 41-year-old. The user replied, “Don’t care. Alonso made podium.” Another user replied with a picture of the 41-year-old with a goat. A way of calling Fernando Alonso, the ‘Greatest of All Time.’ Certainly, the paddock seems to be in love with the resurgence of the Spanish driver.

On the other hand, a fan did not appreciate today’s race as Red Bull dominated throughout the 57 laps. The fan commented, “Good. I fell asleep though. Boring boring boring.” Similarly, another user believed the 2023 season to already be in the bag of the Dutchman. The user stated, “What a great season ! See you in 2024.” While another fan said, “championship’s already over.”

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Thus, the Bahrain Grand Prix might divide opinions in terms of overall racing. Yet, one thing is clear, Fernando Alonso is back on the podium, this time with Aston Martin. The 41-year-old will leave no stone unturned as he tries to finally clinch his third world title. However, Red Bull Racing will pose a formidable challenge as the Austrian team seems to stay in a league of its own.

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