Picture Credits: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team
Fernando Alonso’s latest F1 victory was back in 2013 in Barcelona, but that has not stopped his many millions of fans keeping the faith that a 33rd victory during the popular Spaniard’s Formula One career is still a real possibility. So much so, that social media has an ongoing hashtag of #alonso33. Fernando Alonso shared his thoughts on this during Monday’s launch of Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team’s AMR23.
2-time F1 Drivers’ Champion Fernando Alonso recorded his first victory in the pinnacle of motorsport back in 2003 at the Hungaroring. On that day, the Spaniard crossed the line to take the top step of the podium in his V10 powered Renault R23B. Alonso also recorded F1 Grand Prix victories driving for McLaren and Ferrari on top of his continued success at Renault – 32 victories in total to date. 2023 brings with it 10 years since Alonso’s latest F1 victory in his V8 Ferrari F138 at Barcelona. As such, Alonso was asked about the elusive 33rd race win and the growing social media movement around it.
“33 for sure, it’s a topic now, it wasn’t planned in the mission. Now 33, so, that means social media and fans are always very motivated. To make the 33rd win will be amazing, but I’m not focused really too much on that, that’s something unstoppable on social media and I’m happy for them to follow that and this is part of the magic of motorsport or sports in general, just to have the fans supporting you and having something to talk.”
“But let’s see, I’m very motivated, I’m very happy with the things that I’m seeing. As I said, this team is not happy with fourth. This team is not happy with third. This team is not happy with second and this is what I feel from everyone here. At the same time, they are not giving expectations that they are unrealistic, so they know what we are.” Alonso said on the matter.
The task ahead of Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team is an obvious one – closing the gap on the top three. That is of course easier said than done and having finished the 2022 F1 season P7 in the F1 Constructors’ Championship with 55 points, Aston Martin has a lot of ground to make up.
“We know that last year only three teams they finish in the same lap of the leader. So, it was Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. Everybody else was one lap behind including Alpine…that finished 4th in the Championship, so we know that those kind of gaps in Formula One are very difficult to overcome in two or three months but let’s see if we can have a good season, enjoy, have a good reliability and make sure that the team grows up during the season and about the physical aspect, yes I’m fitter than ever.” Alonso stated to the media listening on.
Social media is a powerful force indeed and although it cannot directly impact on track events it certainly can increase morale within a team. The first thing anyone needs is belief and Fernando Alonso’s fans have that by the bucketload. It is somewhat fitting then, that the tagline of one of Alonso’s previous teams was ‘Believe in McLaren’. The unending support online and at the track shows there are many millions fans – who still believe in Fernando Alonso.
