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      ‘I hope he wins’ – Max Verstappen incredibly tips rival to challenge him at top of F1 podium after Bahrain GP heroics

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has tipped Fernando Alonso to challenge for race wins this season.The Aston Martin driver claimed his 99th career podium with an impressive drive at the Formula One season opener in Bahrain.
      Fernando Alonso has been backed to win races this seasonCredit: Rex
      Max Verstappen believes Aston Martin have a ‘really strong’ carCredit: Rex

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      The Silverstone-based team surprised many by topping the time charts in testing and in free practice ahead of the race.
      And this quick pace has seen Verstappen tip Alonso to rival him for a spot at the top of the podium.
      Verstappen said: “I hope so for Fernando as well because he has had a few years where there was not really a possibility to fight at the front so I’m happy to see him sitting here already in race one.
      “I think also again, I mentioned it before, but at Aston Martin, they really have the spirit and drive, they want to win and they’ve hired a lot of good people.
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      “So I guess it can only get better for them. And I think for this year, difficult to say if they’re going to challenge for the championship, but race wins are definitely on the table.”
      However, the Dutchman thinks the race wins will be limited for Alonso, and compared his time racing against Lewis Hamilton during his dominance.
      Verstappen added: “I’ve been in the same position where some races I’m finishing 20 to 40 seconds behind the winners and you still win two or three races a year.
      “Sometimes there are some tracks which really suit your car and everything just comes together and you can win a race with maybe sometimes a bit of help or luck.
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      “But for sure they (Aston Martin) have a really strong package. And now of course it’s all about developing it further.”
      Two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi has also backed Alonso to produce a “very strong” title challenge.
      Alonso is already a two-time world champion, winning titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. More

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      Max Verstappen warned he faces ‘very strong’ challenge for F1 title… but not from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes

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      TWO-TIME Formula One champion Emerson Fittipaldi has warned Max Verstappen he could face a “very strong” challenge to his title bid. Verstappen cruised to victory at the season opener in Bahrain, with team-mate Sergio Perez a comfortable second.
      Max Verstappen cruised to victory at the Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: The Mega Agency
      But he has been warned he faces ‘very strong’ opposition by Emerson FittipaldiCredit: Rex
      Fittpaldi won his two F1 titles in 1972 and 1974Credit: Getty

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      Everything thus far points to another easy championship for the flying Dutchman.
      However, competition could come from an unusual source this season.
      Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso claimed the final podium spot at the race.
      And Fittipaldi, who won the 1972 and 1974 F1 titles, has warned Alonso could pose the biggest challenge of the season.
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      Speaking to VegasInsider, Fittipaldi said: “Fernando Alonso’s podium was an unexpected one.
      “I think the Aston Martin’s performance even surprised Fernando and everyone in the team.
      “If you look at the mid-corners and slow-speed corners, Fernando was able to have different lines than the competitors. That means he had extra grip there.
      “When he overtook, he was very manoeuvrable on the slow, mid-speed corners. That means the car has a very good grip and handling.
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      Fittipaldi reckons Fernando Alonso could put up the biggest fight this seasonCredit: Rex
      “Lance Stroll was quick. With all the problems he’s had, he was running very strong, very quickly.
      “That means they’ll be a challenge in this year’s Championship. No doubt.”
      Over the last decade, Red Bull have duked out titles mainly with Mercedes and Ferrari.
      However, the regulation changes which came into effect last year saw Lewis Hamilton’s team dramatically drop off the pace of the front of the order.
      Meanwhile, consistency issues in both strategy and reliability have ensured Ferrari have not truly been able to compete on race day.
      Therefore, in 2023, Alonso and Aston Martin could pose the most significant threat to Verstappen achieving a three-peat.
      An incredible omen also suggests Alonso could land his third title before Verstappen, with the winner of the opening race in the last six years NOT going on to win the championship.
      Though the legality of the Aston Martin has now been openly questioned.
      Lewis Hamilton is not likely to challenge this seasonCredit: PA More

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      ‘Three Red Bulls on podium’ – Team chief questions legality of Aston Martin F1 car after Fernando Alonso’s third place

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      DESPITE a storming weekend for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin, questions have been raised over the legality of their car. Alonso scored his 99th career podium in Formula One at the season opener in Bahrain, adding £250million to Aston Martin’s share price in the process.
      ‘Three Red Bulls’ were on the podium at the Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: Rex
      Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin has had it’s legality questionedCredit: AFP
      The Spaniard overtook Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz on track before scoring a third-place finish behind Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
      However, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko could not help but question the specification of the car.
      Speaking to Servus TV following the race, Marko said: “We had three Red Bulls on the podium, only the last one with a different engine.”
      Indeed, the Silverstone-based outfit recruited Red Bull’s former head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows in 2022.
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      Perhaps unsurprisingly it has led to some similarities being drawn between the two concepts.
      But Marko has been left wondering whether there is any foul play involved.
      He added: “It’s true that what Fallows had in his head cannot be erased.
      “Copying the focus is not prohibited, but can you copy in such detail without having documentation of our car?”
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      Despite Marko’s serious tone on the matter, Perez and team principal Christian Horner have taken a more light-hearted approach.
      During his post-race press conference, Perez joked: “It’s nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium.”
      Meanwhile, Horner said: “They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery, and it’s good to see the old car going so well.”
      Aston have previously landed themselves in hot water with a similar situation a few years ago.
      When they were still known as Racing Point, the team were accused of copying Mercedes’ 2019 car design in 2020.
      This led to their car being nicknamed: “The Pink Mercedes”.
      Following a protest from Renault – now Alpine – the FIA slapped Racing Point with a £359,000 (€400,000) fine and a 15-point deduction in the constructor’s championship.
      This was because they had been found guilty of copying Mercedes’ rear brake ducts from 2019.

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      Fernando Alonso puts staggering 15 per cent – worth £250 MILLION – onto Aston Martin share price after Bahrain GP podium

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      FERNANDO ALONSO added £250million onto Aston Martin’s share price after his stunning Bahrain podium. F1’s oldest current driver was in supreme form on his debut for his new team and took advantage of the Aston’s new-found pace.
      F1 veteran Alonso was in joyous mood after his first podium since 2021Credit: Rex
      His podium was one of the stories of the day from the opening race of the season, which Max Verstappen won at a canter.
      But fans continue to be excited about Aston Martin’s emergence, a feeling that appears to be shared by traders.
      The brand’s stock went up by 15 per cent – worth around £250m – after the car’s marvellous showing in the Middle East, according to sport and business journalist Joe Pompliano.
      This will be to the delight of part-owner and executive chairman Lawrence Stroll, who watched son Lance finish sixth in the other Aston Martin car despite recent injuries.
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      Stroll Sr led a consortium of investors to buy the team in 2018.
      Back then they were still called Force India and were struggling to properly establish themselves towards the front of the grid.
      The team changed name to Racing Point in 2019 and would adopt an eye-catching pink livery.
      Lawrence’s son Lance would also join from Williams.
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      Results would eventually pick up with the highlight coming in Bahrain in 2020 when Sergio Perez won the Sakhir Grand Prix and Stoll finished third to give the team their best ever result.
      With the team rebranding as Aston Martin in 2021, results would again go backwards.
      But now the outfit looks incredibly competitive with part-owner Stroll open about his ambitions to win the world championship.
      Two-times world champion Alonso, 41, is still widely considered to be among the best drivers in F1.
      He won the title in 2005 and 2006 with Renault before moves to McLaren, Ferrari and Alpine.
      His first race in F1 was all the way back at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. More

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      Incredible omen suggests Lewis Hamilton may yet win F1 title after Max Verstappen storms to victory in Bahrain opener

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      LEWIS HAMILTON may not be out of the Formula One title race just yet. This is because of an incredible omen which has befallen the sport since 2017.
      Lewis Hamilton has been handed a boost to his F1 title hopesCredit: Splash
      Despite Max Verstappen’s dominating victory in the season openerCredit: AFP
      Max Verstappen cruised to victory at the season-opener in Bahrain, producing a dominant display which has left fans believing the season is already over.
      However, as Hamilton will know all too well, F1 is a marathon, not a sprint.
      And an omen which has gone in his favour in the past could return to haunt Verstappen as he endeavours to land a third title in a row.
      A remarkable pattern has revealed the winner of the opening race in each of the last six seasons has NOT gone on to win the world championship.
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      Seven-time champion Hamilton benefitted from this phenomenon on its first four occasions.
      He beat then-Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel to the title after Vettel won the season opener in Australia in 2017 and 2018.
      He then emerged victorious over former team-mate and 2019 and 2020 opening race winner Valtteri Bottas.
      Hamilton himself fell victim to the curse in 2021, winning the season opener in Bahrain before Verstappen controversially clinched the title on the final lap of the season.
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      Could Verstappen be the curse’s next victim?
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      Verstappen then won his second title last season after Charles Leclerc won the 2022 opener.
      Therefore, if we believe this pattern, despite Verstappen’s Bahrain win the season is far from over.
      The same time period has seen another strange data set emerge.
      In this case, the driver topping the charts in the second free practice session (FP2) of the season’s first grand prix has gone on to land the title.
      This points towards Fernando Alonso winning his third-ever F1 title – and first since 2006 – after he topped the charts during this year’s session.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      The Spaniard’s Aston Martin allowed him to claim his 99th career podium after overtaking Carlos Sainz with a hilarious reaction.
      This shows a remarkable turnaround by a team who only finished seventh in the constructor’s championship last year.
      Data trends since 2017 suggest Fernando Alonso could pick up a third F1 titleCredit: Alamy More

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      Jeremy Clarkson collared by Martin Brundle as he attends F1 despite being infuriated by it ‘for years and years’

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      JEREMEY CLARKSON was giddy with excitement ahead of the new Formula One season.This was despite his admission of it “infuriating” him for “years and years”.
      Jeremy Clarkson couldn’t contain his excitement attending an F1 raceCredit: SKY SPORTS F1
      But the ex-Top Gear host admitted he had infuriated by the sport in previous yearsCredit: SKY SPORTS F1
      Ahead of the season opener in Bahrain, Sky Sports presenter Martin Brundle resumed the tradition of his grid walk.
      His walk normally allows him to rub shoulders and grab a quick word from the host of celebrities and team members on the grid – sometimes to great comedic effect.
      And his walk in Bahrain was no different, as he spoke to Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Red Bull chief Christian Horner before speaking to Clarkson.
      After asking the ex-Top Gear host whether he should be “planting turnips” Clarkson spoke of his excitement to be back at an F1 race.
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      He said: “[The] First F1 race I’ve been to for years. It’s just so fantastic to be back. I adore Formula 1.
      “It was infuriating for years and years and now it’s back because they can follow one another and the aerodynamics are so much better.
      “My daughter is now a really big fan so I can talk to her about it. I can’t believe how big [the cars] have got! I’m just fizzing with excitement over it all.”
      The race would go on to be won by Max Verstappen, who produced a dominant display.
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      Sergio Perez came in second, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso claimed his 99th career podium after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc retired.
      Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton could only muster a fifth-placed finish following Toto Wolff’s admission the Mercedes design concept may need to be scrapped.
      Team-mate George Russell came in seventh, while it was a day to forget for McLaren and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
      Lando Norris was forced to pit SIX times throughout the race due to engine issues, while F1 debutant Oscar Piastri was forced to retire early on.
      Ocon was handed a raft of penalties after twice incorrectly serving previous offences, compromising his race beyond repair.
      His first penalty came after he incorrectly slotted into his grid position at the start of the race before he failed to serve the penalty properly at a pit stop.
      The third offence came as he was found to be speeding in the pit lane.
      It saw the Frenchman equal Pastor Maldonado’s unenviable record for most race penalties in a single race, set at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2015.

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      Fernando Alonso’s hilarious reaction caught on Aston Martin team radio after passing Carlos Sainz in F1 Bahrain GP

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      FORMULA 1 fans were left in hysterics after Fernando Alonso’s hilarious reaction to overtaking Carlos Sainz.The two-time world champion, 41, moved up to fourth with 18 laps left of the season-opener in Bahrain after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was forced to retire with reliability issues.
      Fernando Alonso secured his first podium since 2021Credit: Reuters

      Carlos Sainz watched Alonso overtake him in the battle for third placeCredit: Getty
      It left the Spaniard right behind the other Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, as he eyed a podium spot.
      And just a few minutes later, after nearly touching Sainz earlier in the lap, Alonso passed his countryman to move into third place.
      Following the overtake, he could be heard on the Aston Martin team radio saying: “Bye bye”.
      Reacting to the comment, one fan said: “He’s back!!!”
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      While another added: “Fernando Alonso hype train”.
      And a third responded: “HE DON’T MISS”.
      Alonso thoroughly enjoyed his afternoon in Bahrain as his new team showed they are set to be the surprise package of the 2023 season.
      In the closing stages of the Grand Prix, the legendary driver even took the time to praise the car.
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      Heading towards his first podium finish since 2021, he told the team radio: “This is a lovely car to drive”.
      Reigning world champion Max Verstappen cruised to victory in the first race of the season as he seeks a third successive title.

      The Dutchman’s team-mate Sergio Perez came home in second to clinch a Red Bull one-two.
      And Alonso rounded off the podium ahead of Sainz, Lewis Hamilton and fellow Aston Martin man Lance Stroll. More

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      Fernando Alonso given huge Aston Martin Christmas gift as F1 legend is handed luxury £250,000 SUV after joining team

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      FERNANDO ALONSO has been gifted a huge Aston Martin SUV for Christmas ahead of the 2023 Formula One season. Alonso joined the British team after leaving Alpine and is already reaping the rewards without even taking to the track.
      Fernando Alonso has been gifted a huge Aston Martin SUV for ChristmasCredit: Instagram @fernandoalo_oficial
      It comes after he was gifted a DBX 707, the luxury SUV worth £250,000 and has a top speed of 196mph.
      Alonso tweeted: “Expectations were exceeded. Dream car.”
      The Spaniard spent two years with Alpine after initially joining the team for the 2021 season.
      But the ex-Renault, McLaren and Ferrari driver left the French outfit at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign to join the Brit team.
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      Upon signing, he said: “No one in Formula One today is demonstrating a greater vision and absolute commitment to winning, and that makes it a really exciting opportunity for me.”
      Alonso added: “I still have the hunger and ambition to fight to be at the front, and I want to be part of an organisation that is committed to learn, develop and succeed.
      “We all appreciate that there is much to be done to get to the front, and that we must apply all our energies in working together to find performance.
      “The passion and desire to perform that I have witnessed convinced me to maintain my enjoyment and commitment to the sport.
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      “I intend to win again in this sport and therefore I have to take the opportunities that feel right to me.”
      Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll – father of driver Lance – said he and Alonso shared the same “ambitions”.
      Stroll revealed: “I have known and admired Fernando for many years and it has always been clear that he is a committed winner like me.
      “I have set out to bring together the best people and develop the right resources and organisation to succeed in this highly competitive sport, and those plans are now taking shape at Silverstone.
      “It seemed natural therefore to invite Fernando to be part of the development of a winning team, and we very quickly established in our recent conversations that we have the same ambitions and values, and it was logical and easy to confirm our desire to work together.”
      Fernando Alonso pictured at the Hungarian GPCredit: Splash More