Red Bull suffering a double DNF 'would be nice', quips Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso humorously stated that Red Bull facing another double DNF in Bahrain would have been great for him and Aston Martin. Back in 2022, both the Red Bull cars were out of the Bahrain GP due to reliability issues. This caused both the Ferraris to finish on the podium and dominate the race weekend.

During the post-race press conference after the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, The Athletic asked Max Verstappen about the team's improvement since the 2022 double DNFs. Before the Dutchman could answer, Alonso stepped in and joked about how a double DNF would greatly benefit him and Aston Martin. He quipped:

"A double DNF would be nice."

Max Verstappen laughed and explained how it was disappointing for his team to retire both cars in 2022. He claimed that the team's mentality and operating method have changed for the better and that he is quite happy with the car, which was reliable enough to win the first race of the season. The Dutchman said:

"Well, last year was very disappointing, of course. That normally was a P2. I do think our mentality also has changed a bit compared to a few years ago, in terms of how we are operating and how we are developing a car. And yeah, it's great to finally have a car which is able to win from the start. And it also helps the car's not so overweight. It's perfectly fine now."

Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso have surprised the entire grid by making a strong showing during the first race weekend of the year. After finishing seventh in the constructors' championship last season, Aston Martin has now grabbed a podium spot right from the beginning of the 2023 F1 season and have a competetive car ready to race for wins.

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George Russell concedes that Red Bull will win every single race in the 2023 F1 season

George Russell surprised many when he declared that Red Bull would win the championship and every single race in the 2023 F1 season.

Speaking to PlanetF1, Russell said:

“Red Bull has got this championship sewn up, I don’t think anyone is going to be fighting with them this year. I expect them to win, they should win every single race this season, that’s my bet. I’d say so because with the performance they’ve got, I don’t see anyone challenging them."

The Mercedes driver was not at all happy after finishing seventh in the Bahrain GP and is losing hope of fighting against the Austrian-British team. His teammate Lewis Hamilton was in a much better mood after finishing fifth, but he too admitted that Red Bulls were miles ahead of any other team.