Watching Fernando Alonso almost bouncing on the spot, an irrepressible grin plastered over his face, was an enormously endearing moment with which to open the 2023 Formula One season.
He and his Aston Martin team had pulled off a brilliant coup at the season opener in Bahrain; Alonso was on the podium and Aston had taken the most improbable seat at FI's top table.
Having finished seventh in 2022, impotent at the back of the field, Aston Martin's form at the Sakhir circuit was revelatory. Alonso was third behind the two dominant Red Bulls, but he had comfortably beaten both Mercedes and Ferrari. Nor was it a flash in the pan. Where Ferrari and Mercedes had stuttered to a start, Aston had hit the ground running.
Alonso went on to take six podiums from the opening eight races.
It was almost an F1 fairytale but one destined to be denied a happy ending. As the season progressed they were caught and passed by Mercedes and Ferrari and then, with a late season surge, by McLaren too. They could not match the two big teams' rate of development, they faced infrastructure challenges as well as unexpected technical complications, and finished in fifth place.
It might be considered a dispiriting end to what had opened with such verve but Alonso and the team believe it was an encouraging stepping stone for 2024, which begins in Bahrain on 2 March, the first race of a mammoth 24-meeting season. Optimism is high at Aston Martin and the goal remains a breakthrough into competing at the very front.
Denne historien er fra January 04, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 04, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Swiss police make arrests over reported death in 'suicide' pod
Swiss police have opened a criminal investigation and arrested a number of people after the suspected death of a woman in a so-called suicide capsule.
Durán on target from the spot as Aston Villa pass nervy test
As Emiliano Buendía wheeled towards the nearest corner clenching his fists in celebration, in front of the bank of 1,848 travelling Aston Villa supporters, it was the kind of cathartic moment he longed for on the darker days of his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury.
Bolton recall spirit of Allardyce era in pursuit of upset
Wanderers had a reputation for riling Wenger's Arsenal in the early 2000s and they are hoping for another shock
Brook unbowed with masterful ton to drive England home and dry
On a chilly night at Chester-le-Street came an England performance to warm the cockles of the hardy home supporters.
England set to name El-Abd as defence coach after Jones exit
Steve Borthwick is expected to appoint Joe El-Abd as England's new defence coach following Felix Jones's shock resignation amid a summer of upheaval.
Union anger after Boeing makes 'divisive' final offer to end strike
A union representing 33,000 striking Boeing workers has reacted with anger at what the aircraft maker called its \"best and final\" pay offer of a 30% rise over four years.
Brexit checks put plant and flower trade with EU at risk, say UK firms
Exporters of plants and flowers from mainland Europe are turning their backs on supplying Britain as \"painful\" new Brexit border checks are pushing some trading relationships to \"breaking point\", garden centres and nurseries have warned.
Tui expects leap in profits as winter trip bookings rise
Europe's largest travel company expects its annual profits to rise by at least a quarter, helped by people spending more on winter breaks to sunny destinations such as Egypt, Cape Verde, Thailand and Mexico.
Interest rates unlikely to go to near-zero again, Bank governor says
The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has said he expects interest rates to fall gradually but warned consumers not to expect a return to near-zero levels.
Firms question pre-budget timing of investment event
Business leaders have warned that the government's plans for a major global investment summit are in danger of falling flat, amid growing frustrations over the high costs of involvement and its timing two weeks before the budget.