Fernando Alonso's former team principal shares 'the only caveat' Aston Martin needs to follow to have a successful partnership with the Spaniard

Fernando Alonso's former team principal Paul Stoddart explained how Aston Martin will greatly benefit if they allow the Spaniard to race freely without any policies or extra strategies.

The 41-year-old was the talk of the town after he bagged two podiums at the start of the 2023 F1 season. He has driven brilliantly and helped Aston Martin propel themselves up the grid.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Stoddart claimed that Aston Martin need to give Fernando Alonso the freedom to race in his own style. As per Stoddart, only then will he be able to help the team progress even further. Moreover, he will also help his young teammate Lance Stroll improve and become one of the top drivers on the grid.

The Spaniard's former team principal said:

"If Fernando’s left to do what Fernando can do, which is be a team leader, drag Lance Stroll up the ladder a little bit, and gets the backing from what is a fantastic team… I think if you get Fernando leading that team, and being able to influence that team, you’re gonna have a happy Fernando and a happy Lance Stroll because, at the end of the day, that team will go forward."

Stoddart believes that the only way for Aston Martin to improve is by allowing Fernando Alonso to lead the team and giving him freedom. He concluded:

"He does [need to be the main man] and that’s the only caveat I put on this move. If they don’t recognize what a champion they’ve got, it’s to their detriment. Because if you work with Fernando, you get everything. If you work against him, we all know the results…"

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F1 pundit believes Fernando Alonso could win a race in 2023 if Red Bull stumbles

Red Bull is by far the most dominant team on the grid in 2023. They are so far ahead of everyone that they could win every single race of the season. However, F1 pundit Mark Hughes believes that Fernando Alonso could steal a race victory for himself if both Red Bull drivers encounter terminal issues during a Grand Prix.

Speaking on The Race podcast, Hughes said:

"I think, as Fernando pointed out, he's optimistic there'll be a day when Red Bull doesn't finish. You hear more and more about what happened with the car in Bahrain and how on tenterhooks the Red Bull pit crew was about the concerns about the cars finishing there and we had the same thing with both cars here."

"It's quite conceivable that if it happens, you would imagine that Aston's gonna be a good chance first in line to take advantage."

Fernando Alonso is the third fastest driver on the grid after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Hence, there is a strong chance of him winning a race in the 2023 F1 season.