"You zoom in, and you find problems": Fernando Alonso's team issued a damning verdict by F1 pundit for its 2023 F1 season

F1 pundit Scott Mitchell Malm has explained how Fernando Alonso's team Aston Martin had an overall great season in 2023 but had loads of problems when looked under a microscope. The British outfit was outstanding in the first half of the season but dropped like a stone through the grid as the year went on.

Scott shared how he talked to Aston Martin's team principal Mike Krack and discussed different perspectives, telling different stories about the team. He claimed that although in hindsight Aston Martin's performance in 2023 looked great, when it came to nitpicking smaller details, several problems emerged.

"If you take a broad overview - which is what [Mike] Krack was saying in Abu Dhabi - if you take a broad overview, there is no negative. We got way more points than last year, we scored podiums, we proved that we had the capacity to start the year as one of the best teams," he said on The Race F1 podcast.

"But I got Krack to admit this as well: You zoom in, and you find problems. It's not just the development rate, there is also some annoying nigling reliability problems that genuinely inflict Stroll's side of the garage more than Alonso's side," he added.

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Fernando Alonso lauds Lance Stroll for his level of commitment

Although Lance Stroll was miles away from Fernando Alonso in terms of points scored in 2023, the latter praised his Aston Martin teammate for his dedication to work.

The veteran Spaniard stated how Stroll also helped the team fix the car over the season and how he managed to race even after his hand injury.

"We share many things that he's been through, some difficulties this year as the car was changing behavior and he was just struggling a little bit more than me. We then fixed a few things on the car, and he's back to top form, and it was impressive to see his dedication and motivation in the highs and lows, such as in the beginning of the year with a broken hand," Alonso was quoted as saying by RacingNews365.

"He was so determined to put things back in place again and eventually he did after Mexico, in Brazil, and Las Vegas. This was a surprise to me, to be honest, the level of commitment and the level of motivation that he has, so it is only good news and good things for the team," the Spaniard added.

Fernando Alonso finished the season in fourth place with 206 points, while Lance Stroll ended up in 10th place with 74 points.