"He's trying to pre-empt that situation": Why Fernando Alonso has been maintaining a very good relationship with Lance Stroll

F1 pundit Peter Windsor believes Fernando Alonso has been maintaining a good relationship with Lance Stroll because he wants to be in the latter's good books. The Spaniard is often heard praising his Aston Martin teammate, even while on track.

Alonso recently praised Stroll's overtaking skills in Miami, having watched the Canadian make the move whilst driving himself. The two-time world champion is currently exhibiting flying form, having appeared on the podium in four out of the first five races. Lance Stroll, on the other hand, has failed to impress so far, despite possessing the same AMR23 as Alonso.

Speaking about Fernando Alonso's relationship with Lance Stroll, Windsor said on his YouTube channel:

"Fernando sees Lance Stroll as the perfect answer to his current problem i.e he didn't have a great racing car, and all of a sudden he does. And Lawrence Stroll is the guy paying the bills and making it all happen. That's why Fernando is doing all he can to ingratiate himself with Lance Stroll.

"He's just trying to be Mr. Nice Guy and pre-empt Lawrence Stroll saying, 'Enough of this Fernando Alonso stuff, why isn't my son winning?' And he wants to be in a position to say, 'Well, he will win races, I'll help him but I want to win them first.'"

Aston Martin will not celebrate Fernando Alonso's 33rd race win by climbing the fence

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has stated that despite the significance of Fernando Alonso's 33rd race win, the team will not engage in the traditional celebration of climbing the fence. This decision stems from the recent rule implemented by Formula 1, which prohibits such actions.

Krack has confirmed that the team is willing to take full responsibility for any fines incurred if a team member were to violate the rule.

In the past, Formula 1 teams often showed their support for their drivers by climbing the fence on the start-finish straight to mark victories and podium finishes. However, due to safety concerns, the FIA has now banned this practice. Consequently, if Fernando Alonso were to achieve a first-place finish later this year, Aston Martin would be unable to celebrate by climbing the fence.

Krack has emphasized the team's commitment to adhering to the latest rule, stating that they are fully prepared to cover any fines resulting from a team member's violation.

It will be interesting to watch how the Aston Martin driver's season progresses.