Why Fernando Alonso will start losing pace if he does not win this year, according to Mika Hakkinen

Former two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen recently claimed that Fernando Alonso's pace will gradually decline if he does not win a race this season.

Despite being the oldest driver on the current grid, the Spaniard has shown tremendous pace. He has stood on most of the podiums this season. However, the Flying Finn feels that his pace could diminish if he does not stand on the top spot once or twice.

Speaking to Unibet, the McLaren legend initially recalled how Fernando Alonso joined the sport when he was about to retire in 2001. He said:

“Yes, Fernando Alonso is a wily old fox. I ended my F1 career in 2001, a long time ago. When I retired, I was about 33, I thought I had a tough career behind me. Around the time I retired, Fernando entered Formula 1 – from that it’s easy to count how long he’s been around."

Firstly, he commended Fernando Alonso for having the patience to keep pushing, even at this stage of his career, for a race win. He has found himself in a brilliant situation with Aston Martin. However, Mika Hakkinen feels that Alonso will slow down if he does not win any races in 2023. He concludes it as the 'law of physics', saying:

“He’s doing an incredible job and the patience he has to race without winning, because you go there to win. You need to find the right place at the right time. He’s done a great job, but the one thing I know is that if he doesn’t win this year, his speed will start declining. It’s a law of physics.”

By the looks of things, a race win for Fernando Alonso could be quite difficult as Max Verstappen is confortably dominanting the entire grid. Furthermore, both Mercedes drivers are also moving up the ranks as well, making the front rows even more competitive.

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Lance Stroll aiming to finish on the podium alongside Fernando Alonso

The 2023 F1 Canadian GP will be Lance Stroll's home race this weekend. The young Aston Martin driver is determined to have a good result in Montreal and wants himself and his teammate, Fernando Alonso to finish on the podium. Speaking at an event in New York, he said:

“Those are exactly the plans. Hopefully, get two cars on the podium. I’m extremely confident. I believe the car will be very strong around the Montreal circuit, it suits our car well… so I’m really looking forward to going home and really looking forward to a great race.”

Aston Martin are also bringing major upgrades to their car, which could help both drivers to take the fight to Mercedes and even Red Bull. Currently Fernando Alonso stands in third place in the drivers' championship, while Lance Stroll is in eighth place.