Fernando Alonso and his vision of the longest season in the history of F1 1:39
(CNN) --
More than 20 years after his Formula One debut, Fernando Alonso is itching for more glory before the start of the 2023 season, which begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix.
That desire for success led him to make the big decision last year to turn down a new contract with Alpine to join Aston Martin, he told CNN Sport's Amanda Davies.
“It has to be an ambitious project.
It has to be a project that you want to win, a project that will take it all and do whatever it takes to make it happen.
And that's what I feel at Aston Martin," said the Spaniard before the start of the season.
“There is this talent and this hunger for triumph, triumph and triumph.”
Analysis: The start of the 2023 Formula 1 season 4:38
Success certainly comes naturally for the 41-year-old Spaniard.
He made it to the big tent in 2001, winning his first race in 2003 before winning back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006, becoming the youngest double champion in the sport's history.
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F1 2023: race dates and how to watch on television and the internet
Since then, the 32-race winner has had legendary battles with some of the greatest drivers of the past two decades, from Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen to Lewis Hamilton and Sebastien Vettel, whom Alonso has replaced at Aston Martin after the four-time Champion. he retired from F1.
Aston Martin is Alonso's fifth team and the first move he has made since returning to F1 with Alpine in 2021.
Frustration from the 2010s led to the Spaniard giving up on his F1 career in 2018, retiring after five years without winning a race and apparently disillusioned with the sport.
He has competed in the IndyCar Series, the Le Mans 24-hour race and the Dakar Rally, where he was uninjured in a crash in which his Toyota Hilux was blown up after hitting a sand dune in Saudi Arabia.
Alonso won his first drivers' championship in 2005 before retaining the title in 2006. Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Three years later he made his sensational return to F1, but failed to reach the heights of his early career.
After finishing 10th in 2021 and ninth in 2022 with Alpine, Alonso turned down a one-year contract extension to join a rising Aston Martin team.
“The investment is there, the new facilities, a new wind tunnel that is coming out.
New people joining the team with different experiences and different backgrounds, ”he comments on Aston Martin's“ wonderful project ”.
The investment is certainly there.
Lawrence Stroll, boss of Aston Martin and father of Alonso's new partner, Lance, has put the money where he has promised.
The team opened its new $200 million factory at Silverstone and broke the bank to bring in top engineering and talent from other teams to support its new star driver.
With the new investment and Alonso's excellent performance in pre-season testing, where he came second on the first day of testing in Bahrain, Aston Martin looks poised to become best of the rest this season, behind the usual title contenders. Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.
The 2023 season prepares more controversy
The 2023 season will be the biggest yet, but it's off to a rocky start after drivers complained about new rules introduced by governing body the FIA, which prevent them from making "political, religious and personal statements" to unless previously approved in writing.
The FIA has since responded by clarifying that drivers will be able to "express their views on any political, religious or personal matter" outside of racing, but during competition and on the track, any display must be approved in advance by the body. rector or drivers will face penalties.
The 2023 season will also be the busiest on record, with 23 races in nine months, a decision some drivers have opposed.
Reigning two-time champion Max Verstappen expressed his dissatisfaction with the schedule, previously telling CNN Sport: "The problem is that we travel a lot and it's getting more and more... Basically the question is is it worth spending so much time away from family and friends chasing more success.”
Fernando Alonso in practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 4, 2023. Credit: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images
When asked if the drivers have enough of a say in the future of the sport, Alonso thinks "probably not."
"But maybe this is not our role in this sport," he added.
“We drive these cars on Sunday afternoons, but we can't forget that this is a team sport.
“I think we have the right people at the helm of the sport.
We are in good hands with Liberty [Media], with Stefano Domenicali, with the FIA as well.
I think we have to trust our leaders.”
While Alonso admits it will be "challenging," he strikes a much more positive tone than many of his fellow drivers.
What's new in the 2023 Formula 1 season?
1:31
“I think it will be demanding for the teams, the mechanics, the media, all of us,” he said.
“But we love what we do.
We have a dream job.
We enjoyed every second."
Alonso, without a doubt, loves what he does.
Last season, he surpassed Kimi Räikkönen to become the first driver in F1 history to start 350 races, and it doesn't look like he's going to stop anytime soon.
He is coy about Aston Martin's chances of challenging this season, saying a podium finish is not a "realistic target at the moment", but if pre-season forebodings are anything to go by, that target might come to fruition fast.
Two decades after his first race win, Alonso looks like he could be a contender once again.
Fernando Alonso
