Will Fernando Alonso win a race in the 2023 F1 season following a 10 year drought?

The 2023 F1 season has been nothing but written proof showcasing the abilities and dedication of Fernando Alonso. After being in the sport for more than two decades, the Spaniard hasn’t lost an inch of talent. He still aims to perform at the highest level possible and the results that he has gotten so far have been nothing but impressive. While many doubted this man, they were immediately proven wrong.

Fernando Alonso left the pinnacle of motorsport for a brief period of time after 2018. The Spaniard left McLaren and went on to pursue his passion in other genres of motorsport. After winning the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2018 and 2019, it wasn’t the end for him. Alonso also attempted the Indy 500 with McLaren in a bid to achieve the Triple Crown but those efforts didn’t pay any dividend. Next up was the infamous Dakar Rally for the fiercely competitive racer.

After all this time spent away from the sport, Formula 1 came calling to Alonso in the form of Alpine (Formerly known as Renault). This was the same team that the Spaniard won his two F1 world drivers championships with. It seemed like the reunion of a lifetime and an opportunity that Alonso just couldn’t pass. However, things were not the same as they were back when he was a part of the Enstone based squad.

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Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s reunion was not meant to be

After two years with his old team, Fernando Alonso was being treated like a person who is just there to fill the space until new talent came up the ranks. Racing with Esteban Ocon as his teammate was also not very pleasant except for Hungary 2021. However, it was clear that Alpine was not the right fit for Alonso. That’s why it came as a golden opportunity when Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from the sport later in the 2022 season.

This meant that there was a seat available at Aston Martin, a team that hadn’t been performing well but had the resources to do so. Fernando jumped at the opportunity and signed with the team. A lot of critics and fans alike were sure that this was a career ending move for the brave Spaniard. 5 races into the 2023 F1 season, Fernando Alonso is being hailed as the smartest driver on the whole grid.

The move to Aston Martin was perfect for Alonso. Right out of the bat, it was clear that the team had a race car capable of competing at the top. After scoring a podium finish at the Bahrain GP, everyone has high expectations from Fernando. In the 5 races that have taken place, the Spaniard has been consistently scoring 15 points each races. What is more impressive is the fact that he has achieved podiums in four out of the five races.

Fernando Alonso’s last race win was 10 years ago on this day

The year is 2013, Fernando Alonso is driving for Ferrari and aimed to bring it back to is championship winning days. The 2013 Spanish GP that took place on 12th May was somewhat of a dream for the home hero. No one can forget him standing proudly on the monocoque of his car in parc ferme with both of his arms raised in the air. With one hand clenching a fist and the other clutching a Spanish flag he picked up on the in lap from one of the Marshals.

After a great start and way into the grand prix, Fernando Alonso got feisty and was keen on passing Lewis Hamilton. “I think we knew that to win the race we needed to pass people right away,” he said. The Spaniard’s race winning tyre strategy consisted of 4 pitstops. Back then, Pirelli was in it’s early stages of development and had just become a tyre supplier. This resulted ultimately towards massive tyre degradation.

However, no one had an answer to Fernando Alonso’s power as he went on to win his home race in front of his home crowd. The second place finisher, Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus. “I am so happy for the team, for the fans, and hopefully this result won’t be a one-off,” Alonso stated. Little did the Spaniard know that this would be his last time standing at the top step of a podium in Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso still has a shot at winning a race this season

It has been 10 year since the Spaniard won a F1 grand prix. However, age is just a number to the Aston Martin driver. With the team’s recent boost in performance this year, they have been able to fight with the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull. While Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez continue to dominate in their beasts, there is still hope. There will be scenarios where something could go wrong at Red Bull leading to Alonso taking the advantage and victory also.

With Aston Martin’s upgrade plan for the upcoming races, it will be interesting to see how close they can come to Red Bull in terms of pace. Alonso on the other hand is showing no signs of stopping. The whole F1 racetrack is his hunting ground and he is extremely hungry. With the level if progress the team and the driver have shown so far, it seems like the patience will finally pay off. Fernando Alonso will win a race this season and it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when?’.

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