Fernando Alonso has been praising his Aston Martin team mate Lance Stroll's performance this season, despite a huge disparity in results between the pair in the same equipment.
Alonso had a brilliant start to the season in the revamped AMR23 and went on to pick up eight podiums over the course of the year, amassing a total of 206 points putting him level with Charles Leclerc and P4 on count back.
Stroll had no such good fortune. he started the year with wrist injuries from a training accident and missed pre-season testing. He wasn't able to finish in the top three all year and claimed just 74 points in 22 races to finish in P10.
Stroll started the season reasonably well despite his injury and was fifth in the first race of the year in Bahrain. However he suffered a serious slump mid-season, before finding his form again in the last few races.
Alonso was keen to talk about his high opinion of the 25-year-old Canadian, and their productive relationship over their first season together since Alonso joined Aston from Alpine over the winter.
“It has been very good,” Alonso insisted. “I think we have a very unique relationship, I think, [compared to] any team that I was working for and any team that I know in the current paddock.
“We talk a lot, we are in contact every week on the telephone, at the factory, at the races," he explained. "We try to make sure that we are following the same direction, and we share many things."
“He’s been through some difficulties this year," Alonso said when asked to explain the difference between them. "The car was just changing the behaviour a little bit and he was just struggling a little bit more than me.
"Now we fixed few things in the car and he’s back to the top form," he pointed out. "It was impressive to see his dedication and his motivation in the highs and in the lows.
“At the beginning of the year with the broken hand, and then midway through the season with some difficulties," he continued.
"He was so determined to put things back in place again, and eventually he did, after I think Mexico and then the race in Brazil, the race in Vegas.
“This was a surprise to me, to be honest, the level of commitment and the level of motivation that he has," Alonso stated. "This is only good news and good things for the team [for next season].”
Even Alonso suffered a decline in performance in the second half of the season. After his barnstorming opening spell, he finished in the top three only twice after the summer break.
He finished outside the points in Singapore and had two DNFs in the USA and Mexico, but was back on the podium again in the Brazilian P last month and clinched fourth in the final standings with points in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.
Stroll beat Alonso in Vegas, but overall Aston missed out on beating McLaren to fourth place and 'best of the rest' after the Big Three teams in the constructors championship.
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