Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso had a great time racing Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain, after all "I ended up in front".

Formula 3's newest winners Gabriel Bortoleto and Pepe Marti have highlighted the value of having Fernando Alonso by their side.

It’s a great opportunity for me to grow as a driver.” It’s a great opportunity for me to learn. It’s just a great opportunity for me to be able to have that knowledge at hand.

Max Verstappen sped off into the distance and led from start to finish while Sergio Perez cruised to second, though the real battle was further back and won ...

Pierre Gasly started last but produced an excellent drive to score two points in ninth, while Alex Albon rounded off the top 10 with Williams rookie Logan Sargeant 12th, marking a good day for the team. To add insult to injury, he had a further five seconds added onto his time for speeding in the pit lane – before a 15-second penalty which completely ruined his race. He was duly voted as Driver of the Day by fans. At the front, Verstappen was 10 seconds clear and building on that gap, though not everything was rosy for him. Lando Norris was also having his race ruined by an engine problem. What it produced was a brilliant battle over several corners, as Alonso gave everything to get past but the Brit would just not give up on it. But, soon after, he was having to look in his mirrors rather than ahead. Hamilton got ahead of Russell at the start, but it wasn't long before the younger Brit was showing better pace. But there was almost a disaster for the Aston Martins, as Lance Stroll struggled braking into that first corner and tagger his team-mate Alonso. Everyone got away safely on the first lap, though there was a nervous moment as Perez started slowly. [Carlos Sainz](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/carlos-sainz) was next in line for that final podium spot, but Alonso had other ideas and duly swept past his fellow Spaniard to show there is life in the old dog yet. [Aston Martin](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/aston-martin-f1).

On the podium in his Aston Martin debut, a bullish Fernando Alonso predicted Aston Martin “won't get much” wind tunnel time next season as he expects ...

Max Verstappen eased to a dominant win at the Bahrain GP as Red Bull left their competition behind to start the 2023 Formula 1 season, while Fernando Alonso ...

For Ferrari, all appeared to be going to plan - running comfortably in third and fourth - before Leclerc, who had his engine battery replaced before the race, ground to a halt on Lap 40. The race coming the day after team boss Toto Wolff remarkably admitted that the car concept would have to be changed for Mercedes to compeitiive again, Hamilton and Russell were only really in the fight after Aston Martin's scruffy start and couldn't keep the green cars at bay in the race. Again, it was a feisty battle - and there was a slight touch after a scrap through Turn Four - but Alonso again dazzled through the twisty middle sector before getting ahead of Sainz on the straight. Mercedes capitalised to get ahead of Aston Martin after Alonso and Stroll's first-lap scuffles but the double world champion got ahead of Russell on Lap 13, and then superbly hunted down Hamilton. Valtteri Bottas was 'best of the rest' for Alfa Romeo ahead of Pierre Gasly in the Alpine and the impressive Alex Albon for Williams. In the end, Hamilton and Russell had to settle for fifth and seventh in their underperforming W14 cars.

Fernando Alonso came third in the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso picked up just his second podium since 2014 in the season-opening race in Bahrain.

The Red Bulls were out of sight at that point, but Alonso was able to maintain his position for a historic result for Aston Martin. Stroll's efforts were impacted by a wrist injury he suffered last month, but Alonso was sending shockwaves up and down the paddock with his pace. Fernando Alonso has lofty ambitions for Aston Martin this season as he wants to be starting ahead of both Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz on the grid after taking his second podium since 2014 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Verstappen led home a Red Bull one-two as Sergio Perez finished runner-up, while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso took the final spot on the podium.

[Lando Norris](/topic/lando-norris) finished 17th and last after making six pit-stops with a problematic engine. Hamilton survived, but only for two laps before Alonso threw his Aston Martin down Hamilton’s inside with a bold move at Turn 10 – a sharp left-hander. [Carlos Sainz](/topic/carlos-sainz) finished fourth. [Lewis](/topic/lewis) managing or is he slow because I feel like I have a bit more pace,” said Russell, one place back. [Red Bull](/topic/red-bull) driver, who dominated last season to claim his second consecutive world crown, outclassed his rivals with an ominous performance under the floodlights in Sakhir. “No power.”

A 'perfect start' to the 2023 F1 season as Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix, and Fernando Alonso earned an unlikely podium.

Originally from North Carolina and now residing in Los Angeles, he joined the site as Sunday news writer midway through 2022 and is an avid collector (some would say hoarder) of die-cast cars. When Leclerc took hard tires at the first pit stop, Red Bull gave Perez a second set of softs. [Sergio Perez](/tag/sergio-perez) both led laps at the Bahrain International Circuit, from lights to flag it was never in doubt for the Dutchman. He was challenged on the start by Scuderia Ferrari’s So we just wanted to make sure that we had the right tires, in good condition as well. From there it was all about just looking after the tires because you never really know what’s going to happen later in the race.

New season, same result as Max Verstappen claimed a stunning lights-to-flag win at the Bahrain Grand Prix - but there was plenty of drama elsewhere.It.

First he lined up just outside of his box on the grid. Then, when serving the penalty for the first infringement, a mechanic started working on his car too early, while he also sped in the pitlane. The first incidents of the new season came mere seconds into the race with Leclerc giving Perez a nudge as the rivalry between Red Bull and Ferrari renews.

Fernando Alonso podium: After two years, Fernando Alonso gets his first F1 podium, and gives a big championship boost to Aston Martin.

But now can see a demotion in the F1 standings by the end of this year. Ultimately, the F1 side is actually living up to the believed trajectory. Alonso had a terrific performance in the AMR23. The two-time world champion, after a decade, is finally going competitive in the championship. That has come out to be true, as Alonso secured his first podium since 2021 and gave them an impactful start to this year’s campaign. Many even claim them to be dark horses and can bring an upshift in the top order of the championship.

There was a familiar face at the top of the podium but no shortage of drama on the opening race of the 2023 season. BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 05: Race winner ...

No engine issues for the second Ferrari, and no answer to Alonso either. It would take 12 laps and a second round of stops for Alonso to finally reel in his man, which drew a “Yes, let’s go,” from the Aston Martin pit wall. With the Red Bulls disappearing, interest shifted to the renewal of an old rivalry, Alonso pecking at Hamilton’s rear. Russell tried to hold on through the opening corners of lap 13 before providing Alonso with his first scalp of the evening. The inevitability of the overtake made for a mid-race, pick-your-lap parlour game. The vision of a dying [Ferrari](https://inews.co.uk/topic/ferrari?ico=in-line_link) offered a picture of dejection as pure as they come, and perhaps a narrative low point from which to rise later in the season. “I’ve been hit,” said Alonso on the team radio. Leclerc’s retirement sucked him up to fourth giving him 12 points for which he would have happily signed on Friday morning when he was moping about the paddock with the countenance of a child denied a candyfloss at the fair. Who could be a more apposite role model for an ageing actor seeking to pepper a movie with authenticity than an ageing champion returning to the front of the grid after almost a decade away? From the first practice session on Friday when Alonso chased home Perez, through the second and third, which he topped, qualifying and finally the race, And unlike the first at Qatar 2021, this was not a rearguard action on old tyres, but Alonso in full-on attack mode, reeling in the cars in front to give Aston Martin a first legitimate visit to F1’s sacred platform. BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT — As plot lines go, the Bahrain Grand Prix served up a few nuggets for the production team researching Brad Pitt’s upcoming F1 blockbuster, if not with the manner of victory.

Max Verstappen won the Formula One season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position Sunday with Sergio Perez in second and Fernando Alonso third.

Ferrari had changed an engine battery before the race but that didn’t stop Leclerc from making a dismal start to the year after such a frustrating season in 2022. “What Aston Martin did over the winter to have the second best car on race one is just unreal.” Verstappen started from the pole with Perez alongside him. “I’m very happy to finally win a race here.” Alonso overtook Hamilton on Lap 37 but then slid wide as Hamilton reclaimed position. What have you done?” a jubilant Alonso told his team.

Fernando Alonso took third place in the 2023 Bahrain F1 grand prix, shaking up the boring finish we all predicted.

However, Fernando Alonso's third place finish is hopefully a sign of things to come. Alonso was also clearly feeling good about his new ride, telling his crew "This is a lovely car to drive." Alonso continued to extend his lead on Sainz for the remainder of the race, seemingly doing so with ease. But after Alonso passed Sainz, not only was a podium finish within in reach but also something much more than that—hope. That only left Ferrari's Carlos Sainz (fourth), Leclerc (third), Perez (second), and Verstappen (first) ahead of him. Too many times last year, we were previewed the end result before the halfway mark, making the rest of each race a snooze-fest.

Alonso was tagged by his team-mate Stroll on the first lap which could have caused damage to the Spaniard's car, but luckily he escaped from the incident ...

Obviously, I would love to start in front of [Ferrari and Mercedes] and then use the pace. He overcame the pain to finish sixth in the race, beating "What Aston Martin did over the winter to have the second best car on race one is just unreal. So if people enjoy, we did enjoy as well so let's go to Jeddah." Speaking after getting out of his car, Alonso said: "My team-mate had surgery 12 days ago and now he's fighting right with everybody. It's amazing for the team. Fortunately for the Spaniard, he did not spin or pick up a puncture. By the way, Lance is my hero. There was no damage to either car, so all okay." But it might not have happened had one first lap incident had a different outcome. Alonso was told: "Lance was trying to get past George and as you switched back to try and get Hamilton, Lance just couldn't quite get stopped in time. [Formula 1](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/) podium this weekend with an excellent drive.

Fernando Alonso turned back the clock by finishing third in his first Formula 1 race with Aston Martin. It's Alonso's 99th career F1 podium.

[March 5, 2023] Alonso moved to Aston Martin in the offseason to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, and it seemed like he made the right move. It’s Alonso’s first podium since finishing third at Qatar for Alpine in 2021.

Fernando Alonso has started the 2023 Formula 1 season in the perfect way, with the Spaniard finishing third in his first race for Aston Martin to make the ...

Alonso rolled up his sleeves and, little by little, made progress. "To finish on the podium first race of the year is just amazing," Alonso said afterwards. [Formula 1](https://www.marca.com/en/f1.html) season in the perfect way, with the Spaniard finishing third in his first race for Aston Martin to make the podium of the Bahrain Grand Prix. [Here's how we covered the Bahrain Grand Prix](https://www.marca.com/en/f1-directo/2023/03/05/05_0501_20230305_1_1.html) [Lewis Hamilton](https://www.marca.com/en/f1/lewis-hamilton.html) and George Russell and who was lucky not to damage his AMR23 when he was hit by teammate Lance Stroll. [Verstappen starts 2023 with comfortable win in Bahrain, where Alonso makes the podium](https://www.marca.com/en/f1/2023/03/05/6404cba522601d51518b4569.html)

An "unreal" start to Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin career with the Spaniard on the podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Of course what he has to say to Stroll about the Canadian him on the opening lap remains to be seen, Alonso not even blinking when shown a reply of the incident in the cool-down room. “I would love to start in front of them and use that pace but we didn’t have the best start so had to pass on track,” he said. “Amazing for the team, it was a great weekend and a podium on the first race of the year,” he said after the race. As for his tussles against Mercedes and Ferrari, Alonso concedes while it would have been good not to lose places at the start, it definitely added ” more exciting, more adrenaline” to the race. On the podium in his Aston Martin debut, a bullish Fernando Alonso predicted Aston Martin “won’t get much” wind tunnel time next season as he expects they’ll be up near the top of the standings. Proclaiming his Aston Martin to be a “lovely car”, in Alonso’s hands it’s also a podium-finishing one as the Spaniard went from a first lap tangle to third place at the Sakhir circuit.

Max Verstappen won, but Fernando Alonso was the star of the first race of the F1 season in Bahrain.

I loved every second of it, I loved the on-track battles. Bahrain has always been unkind to McLaren and it's hard to imagine the team being that bad all season. [Charles Leclerc](http://www.espn.com/rpm/driver?seriesId=6&driverId=5498) never looked close to challenging either Red Bull but was comfortably third until his car ground to a halt 40 laps from the finish. Alonso has been very complimentary of Stroll since joining -- saying the Canadian, who is yet to win an F1 race, is a future world champion -- and he continued that after the race despite their near-miss. "Obviously there was quite a lot of work on that but we need to keep working as first race and first reliability problem... Alonso and Aston Martin might not be capable of winning races on outright pace, but this is the best car the Spaniard has had in almost a decade. Hamilton deserves credit for a great undercut which saw him keep the position at Turn 4, but the pace of the Aston Martin was clear to see. However, it was difficult not to think this year will be more of the same old Ferrari given how its opener unfolded. "We were very strong in testing, strong in free practice and strong in the race. The pair also collided in Belgium last year, after which Alonso suggested that Hamilton only knows how to race when he's in the lead. "I think the last few occasions I was competitive, like Canada last year, it was a wet qualifying ... Alonso's podium on his Aston Martin debut not only showed the excitement around the team's car was justified (if not slightly overblown at points this week), but has also seen one of the most talented drivers of the modern Formula One era propelled back into a competitive position.

Coming out of pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season, expectations began to grow regarding Aston Martin. Despite the absence of driver Lance ...

The team leaves Bahrain and heads to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix sitting in second place, behind Red Bull at the top of the Constructors’ table: you will get a step back and you will get back to reality. I think in Bahrain we were strong in things that maybe we don’t find in Jeddah and Australia. I think the aim in 2023 was to get in the mix with the midfield, maybe leading that midfield and get close to the top three teams eventually.” It was a battle that Alonso eventually won, and when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc retired early, it opened the door for Alonso’s podium finish. If we are strong in the next two races, I think we will have a very good 2023.” This is a little bit of a surprise, but we are extremely proud, happy with the job done at Silverstone in the factory,” added Alonso. However, both drivers shook off the early incident and began to power their way up the field. That saw Alonso, who qualified in fifth, slide back into sixth place. Coming out of pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season, expectations began to grow regarding Aston Martin. The dream start looked impossible early in the race, when Stroll drove into the back of Alonso in Turn 4 on the opening lap of the race. “Even a podium maybe was not on the radar in 2023, and we found ourselves with the second best car today in Bahrain, of the whole weekend, just behind Red Bull.

Fernando Alonso revelled in an unexpectedly bright start to his time with Aston Martin after securing third place in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

"It's a terrible time to crash on a bicycle and doctors were telling me maybe Australia, maybe Baku. The aim in 2023 was to be in the mix in the midfield, maybe leading the midfield and getting close to the top three teams eventually. "It's been an insane journey," Stroll told Sky Sports. I've got full trust in our team, they know what to do, so hopefully we can improve." This is just a starting point, not the finished car. "It's the perfect start for this project," Alonso said.

In his first race for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso finished in third place in the Bahrain Grand Prix. It is his 99th career podium.

33 — the “mission” his fans have coined for this year on social media — that is the next step for him and Aston Martin. With Charles Leclerc out of the race due to an engine failure, Alonso was now fourth and quickly closing on the second Ferrari of Sainz, who was struggling with tire degradation. Alonso spent the opening stint trailing both Mercedes cars but was quickly putting pressure on Russell, who had a struggling Hamilton in front of him. It all so nearly ended in tears for Alonso and Aston Martin on the very first lap. Alonso didn’t make the best of starts, slipping behind Hamilton — and then felt a tap from behind as Stroll ran deep at Turn 4. We’ve since heard plenty from Alonso about his belief in the vision of Aston Martin and its owner, Lawrence Stroll, who has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into building the next great F1 team.

The 41-year-old Spaniard feels his third-place finish at the season-opener would have been “unthinkable” eight months ago.

“Let’s go,” screamed Alonso in delight. Hamilton survived, but only for two laps before Alonso threw his Aston Martin down Hamilton’s inside with a supreme move at Turn 10 – a sharp left-hander. “Even a podium was not on the radar.

Alonso was in a jovial mood after returning to the Formula 1 podium at the age of 41 in Bahrain, and doing so after an eye-catching battle on track with ...

"I think I passed Lewis into Turn 10 and Carlos into Turn 11. But, yeah, we need to see that because obviously, we will love to pass just on the main straight like everyone does." "He got me in Turn Four, I was in front of him but he managed to pass me there." The overtaking spots were strange, but Alonso explained that he had to pick different places to make a move as his car was lacking in straight line speed. [Aston Martin](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/aston-martin-f1) lived up to the pre-season hype in the first race of 2023, upsetting the balance of power that has become established at the top of [Formula 1](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/). [Fernando Alonso](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/fernando-alonso) said he "didn't like" the fact [Lewis Hamilton](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/lewis-hamilton) was fighting back as they tussled on track during the [Bahrain Grand Prix](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/bahrain-grand-prix).

Fernando Alonso had a great time racing the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz in Bahrain, after all "I ended up in front".

And yeah, I was happy.” And I think I passed Lewis into Turn 10 and Carlos into Turn 11. That’s always the same thing in any battle,” he added. But, yeah, we need to see that because obviously, we will love to pass just on the main straight like everyone does.” “It was great, a lot of respect between us,” Alonso told Sky Sports. “And then with Carlos, it was close into Turn 10 again, he closed the door, and then I have a better exit into Turn 11.

Aston Martin were the surprise package as the team secured a podium in Bahrain.

To have Lance in the car missing 250 laps of testing that everyone else had and to deliver the performance he did with a broken toe and a couple of banged-up wrists is impressive.” However, it appears all tension between the pair was forgotten as Alonso praised the Canadian for his performance after coming back from injury. Aston Martin didn’t reveal the information, with Alonso getting his first look at the culprit in the cooldown room.

Just when we feared the 2023 F1 season might be a bit predictable, along comes Fernando Alonso to get us hopeful of another year full of surprises.

The great Alonso is back in a seat that means business. Turns out he has the right car. Moving to Alonso could be F1's answer to Dorian Gray. That all changed when Fernando Alonso arrived in Bahrain. Indeed, just last week there was a sense the vibe around F1 had all gone a bit cold.

Sergio Perez took a dig at Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso when he referred to the AMR-23 as a Red Bull car after the 2023 Bahrain GP.

Heading into the opening race of the season, Red Bull was the favorite to deliver the strongest car. Alonso, meanwhile, started the race from fifth, and fought his way up to finish third. Ahead of the opening race, it was Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko who threw shade at Alonso and Aston Martin. Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, however, took a dig at him and the British team, accusing them of copying Red Bull’s design. Aston Martin did not react to these comments, but they are surely accusations that won’t be taken kindly back at the base. The two-time world champion finished P3 in his debut race for Aston Martin, and earned his 99th career podium finish.

Red Bull dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend but received a fright from the much improved Aston Martin team.

It's flattering to see the resemblance of that car to ours so it was great to see the three of them on the podium." It comes after Aston Martin stole Red Bull engineer Dan Fallows who joined at the start of the 2022 campaign. The Mexican seemed to suggest that Aston Martin had copied Red Bull’s designs after the British manufacturer secured a shock podium in Bahrain.

FormulaNerds.com — Latest News — Despite having an outstanding Bahrain Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso had nothing but praise for his 'hero' Lance Stroll.

He even went on to say that Stroll should be getting on the podium “very soon”. When he finished the race, crossing the line in P3, he got on the team radio to celebrate. Many were quick to comment on how this incident wouldn’t be good for the team’s relationship, however, Alonso seemed unbothered by it. He beat George Russell in the battle for sixth place and was catching Hamilton towards the end. In order to clinch the podium, Alonso battled with his old rival- Lewis Hamilton and fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz. Fernando Alonso was racing like he was 15 years ago and impressed everyone with a podium.

Almost seven months to the day of Alonso's Bahrain podium triumph, Sebastian Vettel had just announced he would be retiring from the sport, freeing up his Aston ...