After switching from Alpine, Alonso’s 2023 acquired off to a Positive begin with six podiums within the opening eight races, as Aston was reworked into Purple Bull’s common closest rival with its work on the downwash automobile idea over the winter.
As Mercedes and Ferrari initially ploughed on with their respective ‘zeropod’ and inwash ‘bathtub’ approaches to higher aerodynamic automobile surfaces, they then made the decision to go down the downwash route a 12 months after Aston had achieved so early within the 2022 marketing campaign.
Their resurgent type, allied with McLaren’s outcomes bettering dramatically because it overhauled its MCL60 automobile with a number of Purple Bull-inspire developments, have contributed to Alonso solely scoring another podium since July’s Austrian GP weekend.
Since its nice begin to 2023, Aston additionally struggled with having to get well from its personal incorrect improvement path selections, plus it was additionally among the many groups suggested to make modifications to entrance wing designs as a part of the FIA’s early flex-wing investigations.
However when requested by Autosport/Motorsport.com if he felt 2023 exhibiting two very completely different units of outcomes matched what he had skilled inside Aston, Alonso disagreed.
“No, I believe it has been [a] extra constant feeling and season than perhaps the outcomes are exhibiting,” he mentioned within the pre-race press convention for this weekend’s Mexican GP.
“We have at all times been balancing the ups and in addition the downs. We have at all times been very centered on the efficiency of the automobile and attempting to get higher as a crew.
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Workforce,
“Two years in the past, this organisation was 250 individuals. And now we’re only a few factors away of [the] very prime groups within the constructors’ championship and tasting the rostrum just a few occasions this 12 months.
“We’ve got this new manufacturing facility as properly – quite a lot of new those who got here to the crew – and round 200 factors greater than final 12 months. So, it has been an unimaginable 2023 marketing campaign for Aston Martin.
“I do know that we’re increasingly more like soccer right here and solely the final end result appears to depend.
“However we can not neglect the place we have come from and what the venture is about. So, I am very pleased with this season thus far.”
Alonso mentioned his focus for the ultimate 4 races of 2023 was about ending “on a excessive within the remaining races and we are able to style the rostrum another time, at the very least”.
“After which go into 2024 I believe much more assured that this 12 months,” he added. “I believe we began the [2022-2023] winter simply hoping that the venture was taking the correct route after a troublesome 2022.
“[But] we discovered quite a lot of issues all through the season – quite a lot of issues additionally off-track [such as] improvement of the automobile in the course of the season, route of improvement.
“So, it has been an important championship – not just for the outcomes themselves, [but] for the crew to get a contender [mentality] for the long run.
“It has been an important season and I am very proud and glad.”