BARRETTO: After their lightning start to 2023, can Aston Martin take the next step in 2024?

When Fernando Alonso put pen to paper to sign a deal with Aston Martin, the double world champion – even with his remarkable self-confidence – didn’t believe he could kick off his latest era in F1 with a run of six podiums in eight races.

But the Spaniard pleasantly surprised himself with the kind of performances that suggested age is only a number – the 42-year-old driving just as well as at any point during his two-decade-long career in Formula 1 and delivering on the lofty expectation the team’s billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll bestowed upon him when he tempted him away from Alpine.