Its Aston Martin not Fernando Alonso that is responsible for the team's surge to the front according to Mika Hakkinen

Former two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen explained how Aston Martin as a team is more responsible than Fernando Alonso for their success in the 2023 F1 season.

Though Fernando Alonso is also doing a brilliant job for his age, Hakkinen feels that the team behind him and their hard work in the past are the main reasons behind their success.

Speaking to Unibet, the McLaren legend initially agreed that Fernando Alonso has most definitely helped Aston Martin unlock its full potential. However, he later points out that it is the team's relentless work in the background that has brought them forward in the pecking order.

“Absolutely, he has motivated everyone in the team to push forward, but the fact is that the people who have worked in the background over the years are the ones who have built a good car. A good driver appearing doesn’t cause that, the work has been done beforehand."

Later on, he poses questions about whether the team will be able to continue this run in the upcoming races, especially as Mercedes and Ferrari are gradually creeping up and improving their cars. Of course, only time will answer these questions. Hakkinen concluded:

"Now the question is what happens in the future. Will the results continue to be good? It depends on who they have working there.”

It is safe to say that Fernando Alonso himself will agree to these statements since he is well aware of how hard his team has worked, allowing him to drive such a quick car. He has frequently appreciated his Aston Martin in the past, after almost every race.

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Fernando Alonso determined to take the fight to his rivals in Canadian GP

After a poor race at the 2023 F1 Spanish GP, Fernando Alonso was determined to bounce back in the upcoming Canadian GP. Speaking to the media, the Spaniard explained how both George Russell and Sergio Perez were faster than him and acknowledged Mercedes gaining on Aston Martin in terms of points. He said:

“After starting quite far back, I was able to recover – but only up to a certain point. Both Russell and Checo were faster than us today, so there was a lot of work to do. Looking at the Constructors, it’s true that Mercedes gained some important points but we again gained points on Ferrari.”

Alonso added:

“In Canada, we’ll bring more things, and in Silverstone too… It will all depend on which team is bringing updates. Even then, with a normal qualifying, we would have started alongside Hamilton and could have had some better chances. I think it’s just one race – and then in Canada, we crush them.”

Currently, Fernando Alonso is in third place but is closely chased by his old rival, Lewis Hamilton, in fourth. The point difference between the two is only 12.