Fernando Alonso claims new Aston Martin team-mate is "a possible world champion"

09 February 2023 , 21:37

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Lance Stroll has three F1 podiums to his name – but none since 2020 (Image: Getty Images)

Fernando Alonso has declared that his new Formula 1 team-mate "has the possibility to be world champion".

The Spaniard has known Lance Stroll for a long time, though they have never raced together for the same team in F1. That changes this year, with Alonso now driving for Aston Martin – a team looking to fulfil the potential it has repeatedly insisted it has.

Alonso has been speaking from that same hymn sheet ever since he signed his contract. In a new interview released by the team, he has pledged to give everything so that either he or Stroll – or whoever comes after them – can experience such success.

"I'm not thinking about timeframes and how long it will take the team to win races. I will take it race by race, season by season," he said. "What's important is that we keep making progress.

"We need to feel happy with each other and help each other: Aston Martin helping me to achieve the results and the targets that I have and me helping the team to progress every race, every year, to get closer and closer to the top positions.

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"I will use all my experience and all my knowledge to help the team shortcut the time that is needed to become world champions. Will I be behind the steering wheel when that time comes? Nobody knows. It's impossible to predict. But what is certain is that I will try my best."

Fernando Alonso will race for Aston Martin in 2023 (Getty Images)

Asked about how he would feel about someone else benefitting from the fruits of his labours in the future, the 41-year-old replied: "I will still be very proud if the team wins without me in the car. I will be very proud of the process and my contribution to the project.

"In Lance, the team has a driver who is super young, super talented and has the possibility to be world champion. To see him achieve that and have played a part in that, whether that's behind the wheel or not, will be special for me.

"I've known Lance for 11 years. We met in 2012 when I was at Ferrari – he was in the Ferrari Academy. And I've known his father, Lawrence, for many years. He's a great friend of mine. I've been to his house in Canada a few times, doing different sports and enjoying time together.

"He has the speed, and he has the talent. He has shown it many times, especially in wet conditions. I remember Lance's pole position in Turkey and some of his other excellent performances in the wet; to perform at that level in difficult conditions you have to have a special feeling with the car."

Daniel Moxon