Throughout his long F1 career, Fernando Alonso has spent the life of a nomad, switching teams often. Ever since his 2 back-to-back championship wins with Renault, the Spaniard never again found a team good enough to match his talent with a competitive enough car. The instant success with Aston Martin looks to have changed that if we are to go by his podium finish at the season opener in Bahrain. What made it possible was Lawrence Stroll‘s belief in his abilities and the willingness to take a risk worth more than a couple of hundred million dollars.

Long before Fernando joined Aston Martin, Stroll made it clear that he did not want his team to languish in the middle of the table. He aimed to see his team fight for glory and took the necessary steps to work towards that target. Hiring men like Dan Fallows was one step. 2nd was breaking the ground for a new state-of-the-art $240 million facility. And the final step was hiring a man like Alonso to spearhead the team.

In a recent episode of the F1 Nation podcast, while talking about Alonso and Lawrence’s relationship, Natalie Pinkham said, “Fernando says they’ve known each other a long time. So, [they] clearly know what makes the other one tick. I think there’s a couple of reasons behind this. One is that Fernando is grateful for this opportunity at this stage of his career. He’s actually found himself in a competitive car, can leave on his own terms on a high, which is what all racing drivers want.” 

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Pinkham also lauded Alonso for his positive influence on his teammate, who came out of Bahrain with flying colors.

How the Fernando Alonso effect changed Lance Stroll’s fate

Before the start of the current season, Lance Stroll was going through a rough phase. A senior driver like Alonso is exactly what he needed to lift his spirits and guide him. Soon after his arrival, Fernando did just that with some positive affirmations, dubbing Lance as a future world champion. That was enough to motivate the Canadian who squeezed out a P6 finish in Sakhir despite recovering from a broken wrist.

“He (Alonso) was just in such good spirits and I think that’s such a powerful combination for the team. Him plus Lance. Lance has left Bahrain with a whole legion of new fans. He was just so impressed with how deeply he dug in order to perform. Not just race, but perform, score decent hall of points,” Natalie added.

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How successful do you think Fernando and Lance’s partnership turn out to be at the end of the season? Where will Aston Martin finish in the championship? Drop your predictions in the comments.