Fernando Alonso is furious with the rumours linking him to Red Bull and threatened consequences for reporters producing unsubstantiated gossip about his future, while insisting 2023 has been a super season for Aston Martin.
The run-up to the 2023 Brazilian Grand Prix has been enveloped so much by off-track talk whether it’s Alonso or Daniel Ricciardo replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull or the potential cancellation of the season-ending 2023 Abu Dhabi GP that it’s easy to forget there’s a race at all.
However, after brushing off any talk of his Aston Martin exit as a ‘game’, Alonso added he’s not enjoying life as the centre of attention in the Formula 1 world.
“It’s normal rumours, people out there just try to make fun of it and gain some followers and these kinds of things. But I’m not into that game,” Alonso told the media at Interlagos.
“I will make sure that this is there are consequences, I’m not enjoying it. Because in this room, I appreciate that all of you are journalists, professional people that have been in Formula One for so many years.
“And you gain your respect and, and this is how we should be, you know, so the rumours are coming from people that are not in this room are just here to make fun and I think it’s not funny when they play with anything.”
Alonso on Aston Martin’s ‘super’ 2023
Alonso also provided perspective to Aston Martin‘s slump in the second half of 2023, as they’ve picked up just one podium and 40 points since the summer break and conceded fourth place in the constructors’ championship to McLaren.
However, it still marks a marked improvement from 2022 where the Silverstone outfit recorded a best grand prix result of sixth and finished seventh in the championship.
Even when Alonso was enjoying his stunning success in the first half of 2023, picking up six podiums and sitting third in the drivers’ standings until Singapore, he stressed that even Aston Martin boss Mike Krack was surprised with their competitiveness.
“Obviously we’re not as competitive as we wanted, we’re trying to get to our best level which is not the one that we’re showing now,” Alonso added. “But we are analysing some of the upgrades that we brought lately.
“Here in Brazil, we have a sprint format so maybe a more traditional weekend for us and obviously we are not happy. Mike is not happy, no one is happy with the current form.
“But at the same time, this team was 250 people two years ago, now we are in this transition to be hopefully a contender for the future, 800 people, a new factory and seven podiums this year, 200 points more than last year, all these kind of things.
“On current form, we should not be happy. But we cannot be too dramatic about the situation when this 2023 campaign has been a super season for us.”
