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Keeping His Competitive Spirit Aside, Fernando Alonso Plays Devil’s Advocate on His Victory Chances Against Ferrari & Red Bull

Published 05/07/2023, 10:30 AM EDT

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via Reuters

The Miami Grand Prix got off to the ideal start thanks to Max Verstappen, pushing his RB19 rocket ship to the limit during practice, Q1 and Q2, and all the other practice sessions. However, later in Q3, Verstappen experienced an oversteer situation over a high-speed portion. Due to this, the Dutchman abandoned his lap result and sought to “rely on a bit of luck,” which unfortunately didn’t work out for him.

As Charles Leclerc’s collision brought out the early Red Flag, the Dutchman got trapped at P9. The situation is perfect for the man on a mission Fernando Alonso, who is sandwiched between two of the Spanish-speaking colleagues at P2. However, instead of banking on his skills and the blistering speed of AMR23, the Spaniard has played the devil’s advocate on his chances against the upgraded Ferrari and the formidable Red Bull. But why?

Fernando Alonso gives out a menacing air in his battle with the top two

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Alonso made a significant decision by joining the shiny green team at the start of this year. The Asturian driver was on the podium in three of the previous four races and was anticipated to repeat the feat on the Azerbaijan track. Nevertheless, the man has continued to compete in the sport for more than 20 years and knows all the tricks, being a veteran competitor. You may be wondering why we are revealing his stats and elaborating on his persona.

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It’s because Nando knows it’s hard to beat the strong Red Bull, and now that the Ferrari has returned to the race with some modifications to its chassis, it’ll be hard to fend off the Maranello-based drivers for too long. The veteran is aware that he can still change the odds in his favor. As in, it’s still unclear whether Miami will experience sunny or gloomy weather, so who knows if Nando had the opportunity to race in the rainy conditions and if the other Red Bull driver, Perez, crashed into the barriers, the 41-year-old may accomplish his mission 33.

The 41-year-old veteran spoke with Motorsports.com about his chances of winning against both teams. He said, “We have a strong competitor behind us. Ferrari was very strong this weekend and in Baku, there are some updates on their cars.” Being aware of Verstappen’s skill and RB19’s pace, Nando added, ” Max will probably be pretty fast in the race. So yes, there are reasons to look carefully in the mirrors.”

Later, while playing the devil’s advocate, Alonso said, “But we’ll do our own race, collect as many points as possible. Our main competitor Mercedes has had a tough weekend so far, so we have to continue to beat them. We’re going to try to beat Checo at Turn 1! It’s good to be ahead of the race, at least for a few laps. After that, we’ll be back in the position we deserve.”

Fernando Alonso has now playfully revealed the forecast for the main race of the Miami Grand Prix. He showcased the full extent of his evil side.

Making a forecast for the Miami GP, Alonso illustrates extraordinary villainy

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This year has been an excellent one for Aston Martin thanks to Fernando Alonso finishing on the podium. Fans, though, are now rooting for him to claim the first victory of the year. However, putting his competitive spirit aside. Alonso has predicted that Max Verstappen will pass him in the midway of the race. Alonso has even accurately anticipated the lap on which he will be overtaken in 57-lap races at the Miami Track.

via Reuters

When Skysports questioned which lap Verstappen will be visible in the Spaniard’s rearview mirrors, Nando answered with a quick wit. The 41-year-old said, “Oh, he starts on P9? Then I will say lap 25.”

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WATCH THIS STORY | How Many Times Has Fernando Alonso Won in F1

With Verstappen and Leclerc starting the race at Miami, do you think Fernando Alonso will get a chance to beat Perez and accomplish his mission 33?

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Written by:

Aditya Srivastava

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Aditya Srivastava is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of writing experience. He developed a keen interest in the sport after the unforgettable Abu Dhabi 2021 race. As a graduate of a premier institute, Aditya is committed to producing high-quality content that is engaging, informative, and accurate.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare