Fernando Alonso confident Aston Martin can overhaul Alpine in 2023
Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin just ahead of Fernando Alonso's Alpine during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hungaroring July 2022.
Fernando Alonso is fully confident his future employers Aston Martin can beat his current team Alpine in 2023.
Earlier in the season, such a prospect appeared very unlikely with Alpine among the pack competing at the head of the midfield, while Aston Martin at times found themselves scrapping to avoid bringing up the rear.
Even now Alpine are looking the stronger team, P4 in the standings and with two rounds left to see off the threat of McLaren seven points behind, although Aston Martin have been making progress in their own right, scoring points on seven of their last nine outings. Singapore, Japan and the United States were particular highlights.
There is nonetheless ground to make up once Alonso joins Aston Martin next season, his total of 71 points for the season up to now higher than Aston Martin’s overall haul of 49, that even with several retirements from points-paying positions.
Alonso has seen enough in Aston Martin though to believe they can surpass Alpine next season.
“100%,” Alonso told reporters when asked if Aston Martin could overtake Alpine in 2023.
“Aston Martin are not here to finish fifth, or sixth, or fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. They are here to win the World Championship and that’s what we will be trying to do in 2023 and 2024.”
Alpine confident of a good step for 2023
Of course, while Aston Martin have lofty ambitions of swift progress, Alpine are certainly not standing still.
In fact, their team boss Otmar Szafnauer spoke positively about their line of upgrades for 2022, all of them seemingly working well to make the A522 arguably the strongest challenger behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.
And he does not anticipate Alpine going anywhere other than forwards once more come 2023.
“I think the car performed to our expectations,” Szafnauer told Sky Sports F1. “And I think even more importantly, every time we brought an upgrade, it did exactly what we thought it would do. So we have good correlation from the tunnel to reality.
“And I think looking at next year, I don’t know what the others have done but I think we’ve taken a good step as well.”
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