Fernando Alonso believes there will be even “less chances” for Red Bull’s Formula 1 rivals to win races in 2024 due to the expected step the reigning champions have made.
Red Bull has thrashed the opposition since F1 returned to return ground effect cars in 2022 and extended its advantage to win 21 of the 22 races to be held last term.
Aston Martin had emerged as Red Bull’s closest contender in the opening stages of the previous campaign, with Alonso denied a victory by Max Verstappen’s dominance.
But while Alonso is optimistic the Silverstone-based squad has made gains with its AMR24, the Spaniard is concerned that Red Bull’s progress will dwarf its competitors.
The Austrian outfit had been anticipated to evolve its all-conquering 2023 machine, but surprised with some striking innovations when it unveiled its RB20 challenger.
With Alonso predicting that Red Bull will remain untouchable at the front, he has also appeared to have banished Sergio Perez’s chances of overcoming Verstappen.
“I don’t have a crystal ball to know what the others are doing,” Alonso said regarding how the pecking order was stacking up during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
“I think Max is the World Champion and Red Bull is dominating the sport. Also, the concept that they presented this year, it’s also a surprise.
“At the moment, we just have to watch them and see how they perform.
“I think 19 drivers in the paddock now will think that [they] will not win the championship.
“It happens 99% of the time in your career. This is a brutal sport.”
Red Bull was prevented from achieving a historic clean sweep in Singapore, when set-up struggles with the RB19 saw both drivers fail to qualify inside the top 10 places.
However, with Red Bull having looked to address its slow-speed performance, Alonso is convinced that the signs are looking ominous for the competition’s prospects.
When dissecting Aston Martin’s chances of having a race-winning package in the AMR24, Alonso commented: “I think it’s difficult to tell now.
“I would say, I think after seeing Max and the Red Bull car this year, there are less chances for everybody to win a race this year. But this is how it is.”
Ahead of his 21st season in the top flight, Alonso, who will turn 43 in July, revealed that his physical tests over the winter had been the best he had ever registered.
However, the two-time champion concedes that such individual feats don’t assure that he will produce competitive results on the track with Aston Martin this term.
“I was super fit, happy and motivated in [2015 with McLaren] and I scored 11 points. So, this sport is not always what you feel or what you do,” he added.
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