Despite his 41 years, which makes him the oldest driver in Formula 1, Fernando Alonso is not aging.
• Also read: F1: Verstappen recovers and wins in Miami
The Spaniard, who finished third at this Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, was on the podium for the fourth time in five events since being recruited by the Aston Martin team.
Starting from second place on the grid, Alonso was unable to counter the threat posed by the Red Bulls from Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, who in turn staged the Austrians’ fourth brace since the start of the season.
“The Red Bulls are untouchable, but it’s good to be back on the podium. It’s a great reward for a team that works so hard. Now I aim even higher. I can’t wait to finish second and win a race,” said Alonso, who consolidates his third place in the drivers’ standings with 75 points behind Verstappen (119) and Pérez (105).
The two-time world champion, who lost 26 seconds to the winner, has not seen a win since his success in front of his family in Barcelona 10 years ago while wearing Ferrari colors.
Difficult to stroll around
Lance Stroll, who had started from 18th when the red lights went out, limited himself to a figurative role by finishing 12th.
“It wasn’t my weekend. Bad qualifying, bad race. I struggled to get back into the peloton ahead of the heavy traffic, which made overtaking difficult,” explained the Montreal rider.
Alone on his planet
The season is certainly young, but the fifth stage of the F1 Championship must be remembered as a turning point in the title race.
In Miami, Verstappen proved once again that he is alone on his planet, regardless of his team’s strategy, regardless of a botched qualifying session.
After a modest ninth place on the grid, the Dutchman made a brilliant comeback. And as if to deliver a message to his partner Pérez, he signed the fastest lap on the 56th and penultimate lap of the race to take the extra point.
For the record, the late Niki Lauda is the last driver to win a race after starting from ninth on the grid. It was at the French Grand Prix in 1984.
♦ 41 years ago: This Monday, May 8th, how can we not forget this sad anniversary of the death of Gilles Villeneuve, who collapsed at the Zolder circuit in Belgium at the age of 32? The images of his tragic evasive maneuvers will stay with us forever.