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Alonso rules out Perez challenge to focus on Hamilton threat

The Aston Martin driver has seven podiums from 14 races in the 2023 season as of the Italian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso believes he should focus on the threat of Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers' championship rather than focus on Sergio Perez in the remainder of 2023. After the Italian Grand Prix, Perez is second in the standings on 219 points, Alonso is third on 170 and Hamilton fourth in 164. Carlos Sainz is 47 points behind Hamilton in fifth place, meaning it is unlikely the trio will be caught as Perez seeks to secure second place behind Max Verstappen for his best-ever result and the first one-two in the Drivers' Championship for Red Bull. Alonso has banked seven podiums during his first season at Aston Martin compared to Perez's eight and Hamilton's four, but the two-time champion is certain he cannot bridge the 49 point gap to Perez.

Alonso's challenge

"It is difficult, let's see race by race," Alonso explained to media including RacingNews365 heading into the Italian Grand Prix when the gap to Perez was 33 points. "But I think 33 points (now 49) behind Checo is a big gap, especially because [Red Bull] starts every weekend aiming for first and second. "It is not like they are dropping performance so we are getting closer or things that can put you in a place to fight, so let's see. "Our aim is more in the Constructors' Championship to score points with both cars and hopefully keep Ferrari behind because they are getting stronger and stronger. "In the Drivers' Championship, to be honest, we are more focused on Lewis than Checo." Alonso's quest for Aston Martin to finish ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors' took a dent at Monza, as the Spanish driver only collected two points on a track not suited to the car. Ferrari banked its best result of the season with a three-four and 27 points for Sainz and Charles Leclerc to move ahead of Aston by 11 points. The form of Alonso's teammate Lance Stroll is a cause for concern, with the Canadian only scoring seven Grand Prix points since his home race in Montreal, with a further five in the Austrian Sprint. Stroll is 123 points behind Alonso compared to Leclerc being just six behind Sainz, with boss Mike Krack feeling the team must do more to support Stroll.

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