Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso says his top-5 F1 race of 2023 was ‘nothing’ fans will remember

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Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has named the Italian GP as one of his top-five races in 2023, despite his performance at Monza being ‘nothing’ fans will remember.

The 42-year-old only took a ninth-place finish at Monza in September after qualifying in P10. He almost took an eighth-place result, as well, after taking the finish line only 0.845 seconds behind the McLaren of Lando Norris. Alonso held a 17-second lead on Valtteri Bottas in P10.

Alonso initially dropped down to P11 at the start of the Italian GP when Nico Hulkenberg put his Haas in the top 10. But the Spaniard regained the place with a pass on the German down the pit straight. He then had a steady one-stop drive with a sole pit stop on Lap 21 of the 51.

Fernando Alonso loved his P9 for Aston Martin at the Italian GP

Yet Alonso ranks the Italian GP among his top-five drives of the 2023 season as he felt Aston Martin had one of the slowest cars on the grid at Monza. His fastest lap of the race was only the 13th-best time of the day with a 1:26.105. Oscar Piastri set the fastest lap as a 1:25.072.

Additionally, Alonso only ranked in 11th for his top speed across the finish line at 313.3km/h (194.6mph). Yet his Aston Martin kept picking up speed to take the speed trap at 351.4km/h (218.3mph). It was the fourth-best top speed through the trap at the end of the pit straight.

DRS and slipstream ensure the speeds set through the trap vary significantly. Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton (359km/h, 223mph) and George Russell (334.4km/h (207.7mph) ranked first and 17th, for example. Hamilton gained 43.1km/h (26.7mph) from the finish line into Turn 1.

Fernando Alonso names his top-five drives of the 2023 F1 season

Alonso, though, ranks his personal performance at the Italian GP as one of his top-five drives for Aston Martin. Even though he made the podium in P3 in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Miami and Brazil. He also finished in second place in Monaco, Canada and the Netherlands.

“I’m happy with the personal performance,” Alonso told Sky Sports. “I think – together with 2012 – it’s the best season for me. Personally, I rate the best season in my driving.

“I was happy with everything, I was motivated, I was fit [and] I was performing in difficult conditions sometimes. Bahrain, Monaco, Canada, Monza and Brazil will be my top four/five of the year.

“I put Monza on purpose because it was a ninth place. It was not a podium, it was nothing that people will remember. But, probably, we had the slowest car in Monza or the second slowest, and to be in the points it was one of those weekends everything was very good.”