Fernando Alonso admits that he was sorely tempted to make a move on Max Verstappen at the restart, but thought better of it.

It was another performance that showed just why the Spaniard deserves to be on the 2023 grid, and how lucky Aston Martin is to have him.

Using all his tenacity, the two-time world champion, who had spent much of the afternoon in third behind the two Red Bulls, found himself in second at the restart that followed the red flag stoppage.

As the Safety Car withdrew, Alonso was all over Verstappen but soon the Dutchman began to pull away.

Speaking after the race, Alonso joked that he'd been tempted to make a move but feared the reaction from the partisan crowd.

"I did think about trying the move on the last restart," he grinned. "I thought maybe I cannot exit the circuit, so I stayed calm in second," he added.

"We will win a race soon," he insisted, "we are getting closer."

As chaos reigned, Alonso clearly revelled in the conditions.

"It was a very, very intense race with the beginning in wet conditions," he said. "We were very fast, and we stopped maybe one lap too late, but the same as the leaders.

"The car was flying today, very competitive, very easy to drive," he added. "In these conditions, you need a car that you can trust. And I did trust the car a lot today, so I enjoyed it.

"I thought I would never experience a Zandvoort podium because I was not in a position to think about that," he admitted. "Today is going to be very special. The energy in Zandvoort is very unique."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 29/08/2023 2:09

"Does anyone seriously think that Alonso would 'wuss' out if he had the faintest of hope to win the race? "

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2. Posted by Defiant, 28/08/2023 23:41

"Hmmmm, did he give Max a get out of jail free card or is he just offering some hyperbole?

I'm going to assume the latter. Even though Fernando seems to give Max more adoration than any other driver I can recall, I doubt that the most tenacious out there wouldn't give his all for every inch of that race regardless of the geolocation."

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3. Posted by equator180, 28/08/2023 21:56

"A real pleasure to watch Alonso race and extract all a car has to offer, one of the all time bests."

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4. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 28/08/2023 13:16

"Which remaining tracks could provide the best opportunity for Alonso and AMF1? None jump out to me. Maybe Singapore or Brazil? Rainy weekend is their best shot for either driver."

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5. Posted by Max Noble, 28/08/2023 8:57

"Classic race. Classic racer. "

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I thought about it, admits Alonso

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