Martin Brundle is grateful having Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll slugging it out with rivals during the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, which would’ve been dull otherwise.
Red Bull and Max Verstappen might have utterly dominated the Formula 1 season opener in Bahrain, but the real stars of the show were arguably Aston Martin, their impressive AMR23, and Fernando Alonso, without forgetting the tenacious Lance Stroll who delivered an impressive weekend while still not fully recovered from his pre-season cycling accident.
In his post Bahrain Grand Prix column on Sky Sports F1, Martin Brundle, reflected on Aston Martin’s strong start of the 2023 F1 season.
He wrote: “Much credit must go to Aston Martin and their drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll – they totally energised that race with some great side-by-side action. It would have been rather dull without them.
“Fernando was at his absolute most feisty, aggressive, irrepressible best and made the final podium slot his own through sheer determination. And his tyres somehow survived his demands,” he added.
Indeed, Alonso, who had a tough start for his race losing places and clipped from behind by his teammate on Lap 1, delivered some seriously good racing with George Russell first, then Lewis Hamilton, and finally Carlos Sainz whom he beat for the final podium position.
Alonso’s racing a pleasure to watch
“The skill with which Fernando passed both the Mercedes cars – including that cheeky move on Lewis into Turn 10 – and Carlos’ Ferrari was brilliant,” Brundle reflected.
“He was all over the back of them and whichever way they went, he sliced the other side with so much command and confidence. It was a pleasure to watch.”
As for Stroll – who climbed into the AMR23 still in pain from his injuries, qualifying eighth, finishing sixth in the race, despite also having to driving experience of his car – Brundle had some nice words to say.
“What Lance went through to get onto the grid let alone finish the race ahead of a works Mercedes was simply outstanding, bordering on unbelievable,” the former F1 driver wrote.
“I don’t want it to sound negative about his previous exploits, but he massively went up in my estimation this weekend with his determination to drive the car despite tolerating the wrist and toe injuries that forced him to miss pre-season testing – that’s the sort of spirit I like to see.
“When he decisively got ahead of George, I assumed he simply had to physically fade at some point, but he didn’t and held on to sixth,” Brundle pointed out.
The F1 circus now heads to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in a little over a week, it would interesting to see how Aston Martin’s AMR23 goes around the Saudi venue’s street circuit.
This duo. ?#BahrainGPpic.twitter.com/T2QEOsT8hh
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 7, 2023