Fernando Alonso claimed a podium finish in his first race as an Aston Martin driver with a battling drive in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Here’s the story of his race as revealed by his team radio messages.
Fernando Alonso’s 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix radio transcript
Before the new season began the FIA removed a rule which forbade race engineers from speaking to their drivers during the formation lap. The rule was originally introduced to reduce the amount of coaching teams could give their drivers on how to improve their starts.
The removal of the rule meant Alonso’s engineer Chris Cronin was able to give him feedback on how well he performed his practice start on the grid in order to improve his getaway when the race began.
| Lap: 1/57 | |
| Cronin | Sounds like there’s a delay on your radio coming to me. Short messages will be okay. |
| Cronin | So Fernando once they fire you up Matty will lean in and put the pit limiter on. It’s two bite point finds and then you can do your start. |
| Cronin | So Fernando start was target plus nine. Target plus nine. |
| Cronin | So we’re happy with brake temps that’s good. Brakes and tyre temp looking good. You can do five burn-outs, five burn-outs. |
| Cronin | Okay so run switch ‘start’, then a bite-point find, then back to neutral. |
Shortly after the start Alonso was hit by his team mate at turn four. He was clearly unimpressed about the contact and initially unaware Stoll was the culprit.
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| Cronin | So last car on the grid now, first gear. |
| Alonso | I’ve been hit in turn four so check. |
| Cronin | Copy Fernando copy, we saw and we’re keeping an eye. Everything okay so far. |
| Cronin | So you’ve got Russell ahead, Bottas behind. |
| Alonso | Yeah but I mean they cannot do that. |
| Lap: 2/57 | |
| Cronin | Yeah copy we are reviewing. So I would get straight into some management if you can. |
Alonso, like almost every driver on the grid, started on the soft tyres. He therefore bided him time in the opening laps.
The contact from Stroll left him in seventh place behind the two Mercedes. Within a few laps Alonso was beginning to apply pressure to George Russell.
Meanwhile a radio problem which the team identified on the grid began to clear up.
| Lap: 5/57 | |
| Cronin | So Lance is car behind now, 1.3 back, Russell still 1.4 ahead. |
| Alonso | Copy. Level one. Ten, I mean. |
| Cronin | Yeah copy mate, copy. |
| Cronin | Happy to go another step up on the torque switch and brake balance four if… |
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