The Bahrain Grand Prix marked the start of the 2023 F1 season, and it was evident that Red Bull had put a tremendous amount of work into their car this year. World champion Max Verstappen was provided with a car that he convincingly dominated the race with, leaving little hope for a closer fight this season after a relatively tame 2022 season.
Fernando Alonso’s podium-winning performance
However, the opening race belonged to Fernando Alonso, who could be the unlikely saviour that provides us with a competitive 2023 F1 season. Alonso’s podium finish on his debut for Aston Martin not only justified the excitement around the team’s car but also put one of the most talented drivers of the modern Formula One era back into a competitive position.
Alonso’s move to pass his former McLaren teammate, Lewis Hamilton, down the inside of Turn 10 was great to watch, as was their tight battle for position over the two previous laps. Hamilton’s undercut at Turn 4 which allowed him to momentarily keep position deserves recognition, but the pace of the Aston Martin was hard to beat. Alonso then made light work of fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz down the back straight on lap 45, showing off his cunning racecraft.
It is said to be the best car Alonso has had in almost a decade, and he expressed his delight over the radio to his team in the final laps of the race.
Alonso and Aston Martin might not have car capable of winning all the races but it cannot be denied that this is the most competitive car the Spaniard has driven in a decade.
After a podium finish for Alpine in Qatar last year, Fernando Alonso has found himself in a new competitive purgatory. The Spaniard’s last podium before that was in 2014, during a chaotic race in Hungary, where his skills were on full display. However, it was one of only two top-three finishes in a poor year for Ferrari that led to him exiting his contract early, due to a loss of faith in the team’s ability to deliver him a competitive car.
Since 2013, Alonso has struggled to find a car capable of regularly reaching the podium. With his status as an all-time great secure, his talents have been held back by his machinery, leaving him in a frustrating position on the grid.
The 41-year-old Spaniard took a risk and left his former team Alpine for Aston Martin, hoping to make progress with owner Lawrence Stroll’s vision and finance, and his faith in the team seems to be paying off. Although he did not win the race, his performance was universally praised, and his appearance at the top of the timesheets was greeted with warmth.
How did the other teams perform?
Red Bull’s usual rivals, Mercedes and Ferrari, had a disappointing weekend in Bahrain. Mercedes admitted they need a major rethink of their car and have given up on challenging Red Bull this year. This marks a significant shift from the past few years, where Mercedes has dominated the sport.
Ferrari, on the other hand, was the closest challenge to Red Bull, but the team was losing nearly a second a lap to Verstappen in the first stint before he backed off into cruise control. This was particularly bad for a team that felt they had done a good job with development over the winter, only to find that Red Bull had moved a level higher. To make matters worse, Ferrari faced reliability problems that plagued them last year and were one of the reasons for their title challenge falling apart. It was disappointing for the team who thought they had fixed their engine troubles.
