Fernando Alonso throws down gauntlet for Aston Martin after Bahrain podium

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Fernando Alonso insists Aston Martin have “more to come” this season after an impressive showing first up in Bahrain last week.

The Silverstone-based team, having signed two-time world champion Alonso from Alpine to replace Sebastian Vettel, were the surprise package over testing and the first grand prix weekend of the season.

Alonso claimed his 99^th podium in Formula 1with a third-place finish in Bahrain while Lance Stroll, who missed testing due to a wrist injury but recovered in time to race, came home sixth.

But Alonso is far from satisfied and instead admitted the team still had areas to improve and aspects of the car to learn, ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.

“There are a couple of areas that we have to improve that I will not share, but I think the most important point is that the new Aston Martin is just a new car, a new project,” the 41-year-old said.

"This is just the beginning, this is not the final car.

“This is just the starting car of the concept we changed over the winter.

"Some of the top teams have just kept the same philosophy that they had last year, Red Bull and Ferrari mostly kept the same shapes, and just fine-tuned things and making perfection of that good baseline they had.

"For us, it was much more difficult. We had to change 95% of the car, so there is more to learn from the car and more to come on our side.

"[I have] full trust in our team, obviously they know what they are doing, so let’s hopefully improve soon."

The second race of the 2023 season, the Saudi Arabian GP in Jeddah, takes place this weekend (17-19 March).