"Everything will be easier": Fernando Alonso anticipates smooth sailing in second season with Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso is filled with positivity and optimism entering the 2024 F1 season with Aston Martin.

After parting ways with Alpine, Fernando Alonso signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin, partnering Lance Stroll. The 42-year-old finished his first season with eight podium finishes and 206 points.

The Spaniard put up a strong challenge to Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the first half of the season, ending the year in fourth position in the drivers' standings with 206 points — just 28 points behind Lewis Hamilton in P3.

Reflecting on his impressive debut performances in 2023, Alonso, in a recent interview with astonmartinf1.com, he said:

"I feel like I'm enjoying it maybe more than ever, and I go to the races with a different spirit. A lot of that is to do with the team. It's very young, very enthusiastic, and there's a lot of good energy in the garage and back at Silverstone."

As Alonso contemplates the upcoming season, he emphasizes the advantage of experience with the team. He stated:

"This being my second year with the team will help. I don't need to do many of the things I had to do at the start of this year."

Fernando Alonso outlined the shift in focus for the upcoming season. With a strong baseline from 2023, the team can streamline preparations and concentrate on performance optimization. He said:

"Everything will just be easier. We can focus more on performance and preparation for the first couple of races right from day one. We also have a very strong baseline to work with from 2023. When we arrive at a race, the work we do will be an optimisation of what we did this year."

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Fernando Alonso on his longevity and what drives him forward

Addressing questions about the motivation that propels him forward, Alonso pointed to the transformative break he took from the sport in 2019 and 2020. He said, via the aforementioned source:

"Well, I had these two years out of the sport in 2019-20. I think it reset everything. I recharged the batteries, and I came back in 2021 with fresh motivation and that's still fresh right now. I think without that break, it would be difficult to keep up the motivation and the training and everything else

The competitive spirit that defines Fernando Alonso is fueled by personal challenges and goals, even when victory seems distant. The Spaniard said:

"I'm a very competitive person. I like to set goals and targets. Ultimately, I want to win, we all do, but even when that seems unlikely, I set personal challenges: maybe finishing in the top five is possible, maybe a podium. That provides plenty of motivation."

As the former world champion gears up for the 2024 campaign, it remains to be seen if Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin can capitalize on their strong 2023 season.