Formula 1, the 2023 World Championship restarts from Red Bull. Bad Ferraris. Surprise Alonso very fast

Shortly afterwards, however, the wall for Leclerc chooses to put on the hards for the second time: a strategy that could further worsen the situation or perhaps improve with a possible stint on the softs. But there was no way to verify that. However, the better managed degradation favored the Red Bulls so much that Perez, despite an accumulation of delay due to a mechanic who had badly jammed a wheel on the hub and even a small hesitation from the front stand man, had no discomfort on the final results. There weren’t any direct rivals in the mirrors: he put almost 27 seconds between him and the next helmet. Sainz, for a while third, had to succumb to his master and compatriot. The no longer very young Alonso, who will turn 42 this year, drove with fire inside, putting on a show and reaching the coveted podium, which he hasn’t seen since 2021. It cannot be said that he is not deserved. Meanwhile, the honor of directing has earned him on various occasions. The ‘cinema’ began with the fastest lap two-thirds of the way to annoy Hamilton.

Two moments of textbook ‘fight’ in successive laps to annoy him and earn a fifth position that would have already been a lot, were just the beginning. Yet old box mate Nico Rosberg, commenting on satellite TV, said that Hamilton, after letting himself slip through for the first time, which lasted only a few corners, would never let him pass again. Time one lap and Alonso not only passed the seven-time champion, but also gave him more than 12 seconds to go. All after a duel, curve after curve, to see and see again. And so after Hamilton, Alonso further demonstrated his great handle for another overtaking against Sainz: not violent, not incorrect, but not so kind either. In fact, Carlos’ young son did not give up his podium position very willingly, and so the two entertained the public a lot, luckily without breaking anything or risking penalties.

On this strange Sunday, sixth place went to Lance Stroll, behind Hamilton but able to keep up, albeit by only 1 second, an increasingly constant Russell. After them, to close the points standings, a surprising eighth from Bottas honors the Alfa Romeo team. 4 encouraging points for the most anonymous Finn of all those seen in Formula 1, with dignity ahead of the ninth place of Gasly, the Frenchman who had surprised Italy by winning at Monza, and the tenth of Albon, who gives a sigh of relief to Williams . Last at full laps was the Japanese Tsunoda on Alphatauri, while the three rookies from the minor formulas all ended up lapped or retired: Sargeant twelfth on Williams, De Vries fourteenth on Alphatauri and last and not classified Piastri, who finished only 13 laps. A note of color is the fastest lap of Zhou, the Chinese driver in the Swiss seat of Alfa Romeo, over 5 km/h on average better than Verstappen’s lowest time: not having finished in the top ten, however, despite this result the coveted extra point will not be counted.