Aston Martin F1 boss on Alonso's immediate impact: 'One word: wow'

“Our goal was to make a step forward in the performance of the car, in the team. And this still remains our objective.”

Krack says the team still has much to learn about the AMR23: “You never feel that you are well prepared to be honest, because you have a huge list of open points after three days of testing.

“And even if you have managed a lot of laps, it’s only three days. So a lot of things can go wrong in the race. So you never feel super confident that you have all the boxes ticked in terms of reliability.”

Alonso got to know his new team for the first time at the Abu Dhabi test in November, and learned more during some Pirelli 2024 tyre running at Jerez earlier this year. The three intensive days in Bahrain, including one where he had the car to himself, were invaluable.

“At the end of the day all F1 teams have a similar philosophy and similar approach for racing,” said the Spaniard. “They are all extremely professional and extremely good at the things they do.

“Aston Martin is trying to become a contender for the future. The new factory is coming together now in May, or in June I think it’ll be ready. New wind tunnel, a lot of investments. So there are things that look pretty good for the future.

“Obviously, I’m thinking more about today’s test than in two years’ time. It shows the interest of being a top team soon, all the new talent that is joining the team in the last few months.”

F1 cars are complicated beast these days, and even for a driver of Alonso’s vast experience there’s a process of adjustment to new car and PU systems, and a new way of working.

On top of that Aston has made huge changes from the AMR22 to the new model, so Bahrain was also a step into the unknown for the engineers. The absence of Lance Stroll, who would have brought all that knowledge of the previous car, didn’t help.

“I think we’re still discovering things on the car,” said Alonso. “Obviously, last year, Aston Martin was struggling a little bit with that car. We changed philosophy completely, 95% of the car this year is new.

“The car felt good all three days, we’ve been experimenting a little bit with very different routes on set-ups. And we found always positives, these new routes. So there is a clear indication that we need to change philosophy and many things on this car, compared to last year’s car.

“And that, obviously is a concern in a way, because we will need couple of races to optimise everything.”

Driver and team are keeping a lid on expectations for now. Alpine had a quick car at a few races last year, but it’s been a long time since Alonso was able to aim regularly for the top six, or even better, in qualifying. For a man who has logged just one podium in his last six F1 seasons – third in Qatar in 2021 – that must be an enticing prospect.

“I came back into the sport just because these regulations maybe give us the opportunity to fight for the competitive positions,” he said after the test. “When I stopped in 2018, it was just Mercedes, Bottas and Hamilton winning every race.

“Now hopefully, someone can stop the Red Bull even if it is very difficult. But we will make one step in 2023. And hopefully another step in ’24.

“There are no miracles in F1. Last year, Aston Martin was seventh in the constructors’ championship. So we need to see what we can do, but we don’t want to be seventh. I think it’s unrealistic to think that we will be close to the top three. At the same time, step-by-step.”

Perhaps a little bit of that Alonso wow factor could help to make the difference as he pushes the team on.

“I give my 100%. I ask the same to the team, I’m the first one coming in the morning and the last one leaving in the evening. So everyone in the team, I think is doing extra, because they know that I’m doing it as well.”