Alonso admits overhauling Perez in 2023 will be ‘difficult’

Fernando Alonso concedes that it will be “difficult” for him to overhaul Sergio Perez to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship this year.

Red Bull have stormed to victory in all 13 rounds to be held in 2023 so far, but Perez has been unable to live with the relentless form of team-mate Max Verstappen.

While Verstappen has won the last nine races consecutively, Perez has only managed to stand on the podium four times during the Dutchman’s record-equalling run.

Although Red Bull’s dominance has enabled Perez to remain second in the standings – a huge 137 points behind Verstappen – Alonso is only 33 points adrift of the Mexican.

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The two-time World Champion returned Aston Martin to the podium for the first time since the Canadian Grand Prix in June last Sunday at the Dutch Grand Prix, capitalising on a mistake from Perez to claim second.  

However, the Spaniard insists it will be tough to split the Red Bull drivers in the standings, insisting that Aston Martin’s main priority will be protecting third position in the Constructors’ Championship from Ferrari.

When asked how confident he was of amassing more points than Perez by the season’s end, Alonso admitted: “It’s difficult.

“Let’s see race by race, but I think 33 points behind Checo is a big gap, especially because they are starting every weekend aiming for first and second. So it’s not that they are dropping performance or we are getting closer or things like that that maybe can put you in a place to fight.

“So let’s see, but our aim is more in the Constructors’ Championship, try to score points with both cars, hopefully keep Ferrari behind because I think they are getting stronger and stronger.

“And then in the Driver’s Championship, to be honest, a little bit more focus on the wheels than on the track.”

Aston Martin currently upholds a 14-point lead over Ferrari, with the Silverstone side trailing Mercedes by 40 points.

Alonso wound up sixth fastest overall in FP1 for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, 0.5s off the leading pace set by Verstappen.