Häkkinen bearer of bad news for Alonso: "That doesn't make Aston Martin as competitive as Red Bull"

Mika Häkkinen expects Red Bull Racing to dominate yet another race weekend. It will be crucial for Sergio Pérez to take points from Max Verstappen, after the Dutchman claimed victory in Monaco, while Pérez went home with zero points. Häkkinen believes that the battle happening behind the Red Bull drivers will be exciting. The Finn thinks that Aston Martin and Mercedes both have good chances of competing for the final podium spot.

The weekend in Barcelona is crucial for the title fight. Pérez suffered a significant setback and, in Spain, will need to reclaim ground from his teammate, who is currently at the top of his game. "He will need a perfect weekend in Spain if he wants to challenge Verstappen for the championship," Häkkinen writes for Unibet. "It is becoming increasingly difficult, so it has never been more important for Sergio to regroup. Max dominated in Monaco, and Red Bull has demonstrated that they know how to execute a controlled race strategy."

Fernando Alonso applied pressure in the streets of Monaco. In Spain, the Aston Martin driver will naturally have extra support. "In Barcelona, Fernando will receive a lot of support from his home crowd, and this is a race he would love to win. However, no amount of enthusiasm from the local fans will make Aston Martin as competitive as Red Bull. Nevertheless, if the Red Bulls have a bad day, Fernando is ready to seize the victory."

Häkkinen: "Russell and Hamilton will pose a serious challenge"

It seems Aston Martin will have to focus on teams like Mercedes and Ferrari. Both teams want to assess the progress they have made with their update packages. "I think we will see an exciting battle behind the Red Bulls," Häkkinen believes. He sees this weekend as particularly crucial for Ferrari. "The 2023 season has not started off well for the Italian team, so we are all waiting to see if they can improve their performance."

"Incredibly, Mercedes is just one point behind Aston Martin in the fight for second place in the constructors' championship," the two-time world champion continues. The Mercedes car simply was not competitive in the first race of the season. The German team hopes to challenge Aston Martin with the B-version of the W14. "If they have made progress, I expect George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to pose a serious challenge to Alonso when it comes to the podium positions," Häkkinen says.