Fernando Alonso has suggested that people have forgotten where Aston Martin was prior to the 2023 Formula 1 season amid the team’s failure to sustain its early form.
After successive placings of seventh since morphing into Aston Martin in 2021, the Silverstone squad registered a fifth-place finish in the championship this season.
But while Aston Martin amassed 225 more points than it had managed throughout 2022, Alonso insisted that the side “deserved” more as “I think we were better than that”.
Aston Martin began the campaign as Red Bull’s most consistent contender in race trim, with Alonso securing eight podium results inside the opening eight rounds alone.
However, Alonso would only appear on the rostrum twice in the remaining 16 races as both Ferrari and Mercedes adopted revised car concepts midway through the season.
McLaren also overhauled the British marque by overturning a 137-point deficit after the eighth round into an 11-point advantage courtesy of a successful development push.
Nevertheless, Alonso was buoyed by his debut year with Aston Martin, citing that its progress from when he first tested for the team at the end of 2022 was unimaginable.
“I see only positives, yeah,” Alonso said when asked to reflect on Aston Martin’s campaign. “I think those struggles are part of the job and part of the journey of this team.
“We started really strong with the car that was surprisingly maybe competitive even to us, the step from last year to this year.
“And we found ourselves maybe in a position where we weren’t ready for it, fighting with Mercedes, Ferrari; top teams they are used to fight at that level.
“We maybe step back a little bit in terms of development also in the car during the season. We are not at the top level yet and we found ourselves a little bit less competitive.
“But all in all, I think it was unthinkable 12 months ago at this stage to think about the campaign we did.
“I remember perfectly the test last year after the race here with the team. And if someone told me we would be in the position we are today I would not believe it, so very good.”
Alonso admits he was energised by the team’s enthusiasm during the good times, which he attributes to its lack of success through its various guises prior to his arrival.
“I think I had it [this excitement] in the past, but I think the team is maybe more new to this,” the two-time champion added.
“They had a couple of nice results with Force India, with Racing Point, but to be regularly on the podium or fighting at the top level is new for many people – and I think they enjoy more than other teams and more than previous experience for me.
“This was contagious and this energy was very nice to witness.”
