Fernando Alonso says the 2023 Formula 1 season has entered a “very interesting” phase with more frequent changes in the competitive standings as the development war unfolds. Red Bull had a flawless record with three wins at the opening rounds in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, while Mercedes replaced Aston Martin as the second best team in Australia.
However, the cancellation of the return of the Chinese Grand Prix has created a four-week hiatus until the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 28-30. Given the hiatus after the flyaway race and returning to Europe, the F1 team is expected to debut its first major car upgrade package in Baku. Alonso believes the introduction of new performance-enhancing components will see the competitive standings change more frequently as the season progresses. Asked if he thinks Mercedes’ trail behind in Melbourne heralded a one-on-one battle between Aston and the three-pointed star, two-time world champion Alonso said: “The race pace is very similar, so we’re looking forward to it. I think qualifying is very important, and I think we are now entering a very interesting part of the season as to which team will develop the car faster.” “The first three races were away from Europe so I think it was difficult to do the upgrades, but from now on race by race the level of the team may change a little bit depending on who brings enough upgrades. Maybe.” McLaren, for example, promised a major update to the MCL60 in Baku, but tempered expectations of an immediate hit to its lackluster early season. Meanwhile, Mercedes has teased promising aerodynamic parts that are currently being tested in the wind tunnel, as well as changes to the suspension set-up to increase mechanical grip. However, Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff has said these updates will be delayed until the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in late May at the earliest. Alonso said the season was a success for the team, with a podium hat-trick, even if Aston Martin lost the development race. “Everything is happy days so far. I didn’t expect to be on the podium, even all season. “We need to take every opportunity, we need to learn and we need to grow as a team. We’re racing off-track with teams like Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, who in a way are used to the pace of development. “Maybe we are in a learning process right now, so let’s be very humble about 2023 and see how it goes.”