Alonso Details His Final Lap Overtake On Perez: 'I Wanted To Have One More Chance'
F1Tuesday, 07 November 2023 at 15:00
Aston Martin F1 driver Fernando Alonso described a final lap overtake on Sergio Perez during the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix from his perspective.
Fernando Alonso achieved the eighth podium for Aston Martin this season, and it might have been one of the most challenging podiums in his career.
The 42-year-old held Perez behind him for about 40 laps and defended the Mexican with the aid of DRS for about 15 laps of the race. But then, he was finally overtaken on the penultimate lap of the race.
Going into the turn one on lap 70, the Red Bull driver sent it down the inside of Fernando Alonso and made the overtake stick. Alonso described what he felt about at that point when he told the media:
"Honestly, I thought that maybe my chances were gone in Turn 6, I went on the outside to change line but then I picked up a lot of marbles and then the tires were dirty, the tires were vibrating as well, and I thought ‘Okay, this is gone.'"
However, the Spanish driver did not give up and held on to Perez pretty closely with the intention of a late dive down the inside after the main straight to regain the third position going into the final lap.
"But then I wanted to have one more chance into [Turn] 1 or into 4 with the DRS, maybe braking very aggressive, very late."
Perez saw Alonso closing in on him and went defensive, which compromised his run through turns 2 and 3, heading on to another straight before turn 4.
"I think he understood that as well, so he braked late into [Turn] 1, missed the apex by one metre and that gave me the run into 4."
The Aston Martin driver overtook the Mexican on the straight before the turn number 4 and was able to hold this position until the end of the race when he finished only 0.053 seconds ahead.
Both drivers gave each other a huge hug during interviews after the race, and Perez credited Alonso for the hard but fair driving to the finish line.
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