Fernando Alonso says one overtake on Lewis Hamilton proved he was still one of F1’s best drivers

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Fernando Alonso last had a car that could consistently fight at the front at the start of the 2023 season. But he still believes he can win another world championship if Aston Martin deliver the package.

Alonso started his Aston career with three consecutive podium finishes and six in the first eight races. Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren all caught up thereafter, but he also scored top-three results in the Netherlands and Brazil.

The Spaniard, whose best finish this year is fifth at the Hungarian GP, is at least four years older than every other F1 driver, having turned 44 in July. Kimi Antonelli, the youngest on the grid, was only three months old when Alonso won his last title in 2006.

But even though logic dictates that Alonso should be in decline, he retains his reputation as a driver who maximises his machinery. He’s whitewashed teammate Lance Stroll in qualifying this year and is only two points outside the top 10 in the standings.

Fernando Alonso reflects on passing Lewis Hamilton at 2023 Bahrain GP

Speaking to DAZN, Alonso reflected on his magnificent Aston Martin debut in Bahrain, one of the best moments he’s had since returning to F1 in 2021.

Alonso passed George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz en route to third place. The move on Hamilton was particularly memorable.

He surprised his long-time rival by diving down the inside at turn 10, one of the rarest overtaking spots on the circuit. It earned him the sport’s official Overtake of the Month award.

Alonso landed a symbolic ‘punch’ against those who doubted that he was still one of F1’s best drivers. He’d been outscored by teammate Esteban Ocon in his final season at Alpine.

Asked if it was his best-ever overtake, he replied: “I can’t say no. It was like ‘I didn’t lose what I had,’ a punch on the table. It showed a lot of people that I was still strong.”

Mercedes didn’t sign Fernando Alonso because of Lewis Hamilton ‘tension’, Ted Kravitz says.

Alonso and Hamilton have never completely resolved their 2007 feud. There’s respect between the two drivers, but an underlying unease.

Kimi Raikkonen mounted a remarkable comeback to steal the title that year, with the two McLaren drivers finishing a point behind. Both will feel that the championship should have been theirs.

• READ MORE: Fernando Alonso explains why he had ‘anti-Fernando car’ alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren

According to Ted Kravitz, Mercedes decided not to sign Alonso in the mid-2010s, when he became disaffected with Ferrari, because they feared ‘tension’ with Hamilton.

A reunion would have been gripping for neutrals, but one could understand why teams aren’t willing to take the risk given their history.