Fernando Alonso believes that there are extra wins, even one other title, up for grabs, however not this yr.
After twenty seasons in F1, 355 Grands Prix and two titles, one may assume that Fernando Alonso was trying ahead to easing off and having fun with the twilight years of his profession.
Nevertheless, as witnessed on quite a few events during the last couple of seasons, he stays as feisty as ever, relishing his battles each on and off monitor.
As he prepares to make his debut along with his sixth staff, the Spaniard insists that not solely is he able to profitable extra races, he may even safe one other title, however admits that it’s unlikely to occur this yr.
“I do imagine that there’s a risk,” he advised reporters at this night’s launch of the Aston Martin AMR3.
“I do not assume this yr,” he shortly added. “I’m trustworthy on that, I’ve the ft on the bottom.
“I can’t say to anybody that we are going to be preventing for victories this yr,” he continued. “I’ll lie if I say that. However on the similar time we need to have a superb automotive to start out with and to work and develop that automotive all through the season.
“Possibly within the second a part of the yr we will get nearer if there is a chance, there are changeable circumstances. If the chance comes, we won’t miss that chance. However in the beginning I count on some tough races till we discover the place the automotive operates.”
In fact, with simply three days of pre-season testing, which suggests a day and a half for every driver, the Spaniard admits that there’s treasured little time to iron out any bugs earlier than the season will get underway subsequent month.
“The primary 5 or 6 races with Alpine, I struggled lots to really feel the entrance finish, there have been totally different energy steering settings, all this stuff.
“I’m conscious that I cannot be 100% in Bahrain, not in Jeddah, perhaps not in Australia,” he continued. “In order that’s somewhat bit unfair, perhaps. I believe that that is the one sport on this planet that you simply do at some point and a half observe and you then play a world championship.
“With Lance, I’ve that benchmark in a means after a number of years within the staff. I do know what’s 100, so I can get nearer to that within the first moments.
“Let’s examine. I believe we’ve got extra prospects to battle for wins and podiums subsequent yr, if we’ve got a superb baseline this yr. What we’ve got this yr won’t be our regular place, I imagine.
“Final yr, the bundle had some difficulties as all of us noticed from the surface,” mentioned the Spaniard. “I believe the staff went by means of a number of issues through the season they usually improved lots on the finish of the yr.
“These difficulties are superb while you perceive them and you may programme one thing from that automotive. I believe that is the true first automotive with this new set of laws that hopefully Aston Martin can develop sooner or later. That can be for me the most important factor this yr, that we will develop all through the season, and we will end 2023 realizing that this can be a baseline for the long run.”
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