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As The Race reflects on the 2023 motorsport season, we’ve asked our writers to recount their standout motorsport memory or feeling from the past 12 months. Mark Hughes is next up, and has gone for the race that confirmed Fernando Alonso’s mid-grid wilderness years were over
The standout moment for Mark Hughes during the 2023 motorsport season was the opening race in Bahrain. Specifically, he was impressed by Fernando Alonso’s performance in the new Aston Martin. Despite the car’s lack of straightline speed, Alonso showcased his fighting and creative skills by overtaking Lewis Hamilton at a previously unrecognized passing place and pulling off a late-braking pass on Carlos Sainz. This display, coupled with the confirmation that the Aston was as fast as testing had suggested, promised an exciting season with Alonso’s audacious drives in the spotlight. Mark saw Alonso’s resurgence as a feel-good story, as he had returned to the forefront of competition after years in mid-grid cars. As one of the sport’s most intense competitors, it was a great achievement for Alonso to force his way back into the reckoning among a field boasting exceptional talent.
