"They don't feel threatened by one another": Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll's relationship at Aston Martin explained

Sky Sports pundit Natalie Pinkham mentioned that the arrival of Fernando Alonso into the Aston Martin F1 team this season has enabled Lance Stroll to unleash a new side to his personality.

It is Stroll's first season partnering with Alonso, and the mutual respect and admiration between the pair have been quite evident. The two-time world champion had nothing but praise for his Canadian teammate after his excellent recovery drive in Bahrain.

While appearing on the F1 Nation podcast, Pinkham said:

"Yeah, they do seem to get on well, don't they? It is important to remember that they are at opposite ends of their career. I think Lance isn't that young anymore and it's amazing to think how experienced he is."

Talking about Alonso's mentorship, she said:

"Fernando is sort of taken him under his wing and in a very non-threatening way. He's come in here and said, 'I'm gonna be your team leader and hopefully gonna impart some knowledge and experience that you can benefit from' and feels like they don't feel threatened by one another. They're just growing together and bringing the team with them."

“He's maintained his level and his motivation" - Former F1 driver on Fernando Alonso

Former McLaren F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa stated that his fellow compatriot Fernando Alonso never lost his level and motivation despite driving in the midfield for most of his later years.

Speaking to F1.com, he said:

“There are many world champions who lose their edge when they no longer have a competitive car. Fernando is not like that. He's maintained his level and his motivation. To have achieved as many F1 podiums as he has and to still have that same hunger as when he first started, despite not having a competitive car for so many years, is something I really admire about him.”

The former driver added that he would love to see Alonso winning again, saying:

"It would be a dream come true to see Fernando crowned World Champion again. He deserves it. Anything you do in life, if you give your best, sooner or later you will be rewarded, and Fernando has given his best for decades. When you consider the journey, he's been on, everything he's put in and everything he's been through, winning the World Championship again would be a fitting finale to a remarkable F1 career."

After two back-to-back P3 finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Fernando Alonso sits third in the driver's championship behind the two Red Bull drivers.