Fernando Alonso started his 20th season in Formula One with a strong opening day of practice at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. (More Motorsport News)
Alonso was fastest in Friday바카라s second practice in his new Aston Martin ride, following up on the morning session when the 41-year-old Spaniard was second fastest.
At the end of the day, he joked he has another decade left of racing in him.
바카라Maybe three, maybe five, maybe seven or whatever years (left),바카라 Alonso said. 바카라There are no secrets. You dedicate your life to your passion, you know your body better as well, so you train better, you eat better. You make your career longer.바카라
Alonso split the Red Bulls of Sergio Perez and two-time defending world champion Max Verstappen in the first practice, then led Verstappen and Perez in the second session.
A truer indicator of Alonso바카라s speed will be in Saturday바카라s qualifying session. The season-opening race Sunday finishes under floodlights in Sakhir.
The two-time F1 champion has 32 career wins, but none since a victory for Ferrari in 2013. The second of his two titles was with Renault in 2006 바카라 when Verstappen was a nine-year-old racing karts.
But Alonso could at least have a strong chance of adding to his 98 career podiums at his new team, which he joined this year after Sebastian Vettel바카라s retirement. He is teammates with Lance Stroll, the son of Aston바카라s executive chairman.
So far, relations are harmonious, which hasn바카라t always been the case with Alonso.
He parted on bad terms with Ferrari and endured a miserable four-year spell without a single podium at McLaren, where he was critical of the car바카라s performance and its engines.
He spent two years out of F1, winning the 24 Hours Le Mans endurance race again and twice raced the Indianapolis 500, before returning to F1 with Renault-powered Alpine in 2021.
His third place at the Qatar GP in late 2021 was his first podium since 2014. But he then stunned Alpine last summer when he announced he was joining Aston Martin to replace the four-time champion Vettel.
Alonso, who finished ninth in the standings last season without a single podium, is dreaming big again.
바카라We want to have a good baseline, a good platform to develop the car during 2023 and maybe fight for something bigger next year,바카라 he said. 바카라But step by step.바카라
SOLID STROLL
Stroll surprised many observers by returning to race this weekend after missing preseason testing because of an injury in a bicycle accident. He needed minor surgery on his right wrist.
The Canadian driver said he did simulator work to prepare and was sixth fastest in both sessions.
FEELING EVEN BETTER
Verstappen entered the season feeling 바카라100%바카라 better than last year.
That바카라s quite worrying for other drivers, considering he crushed the competition last year with a record 15 wins. He beat Charles Leclerc of Ferrari for the title with four races remaining in the season.
Verstappen was asked if he felt more confident coming into the season-opener this time around.
바카라What you have learned throughout the whole year, last year, gives you a much better understanding of the car,바카라 he said.
The Dutchman is only 25 years old, but has 35 wins. That바카라s only six behind F1 great Ayrton Senna, who is fifth on the all-time list, and Frenchman Alain Prost is fourth with 51.
But Red Bull바카라s relentless drive for improvement means that Verstappen could realistically overtake Senna and be within distance of Prost at the end of the 23-race season.
바카라I think we바카라re never satisfied,바카라 he said. 바카라You always want to do better.바카라
Unless other teams close the gap quickly, Red Bull바카라s biggest challenge could come from within.
바카라We have to stay on top of things and we cannot afford to make too many mistakes,바카라 he said. 바카라I mean, we바카라re not robots, everyone makes mistakes, but you tried to minimise it.바카라
GLOW WITH THE FLO
Mercedes said it added fluorescent yellow to Lewis Hamilton바카라s protective halo device and fluorescent green to George Russell바카라s halo to make them easier for onboard recognition.
The seven-time F1 champion Hamilton, who failed to win a race last season for the first time, was cleared to race by stewards after a jewelry inspection.
