Alonso finished on the podium for the fourth time in five races in Miami after calling it a lonely race behind Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, which is his advantage over fourth-placed George Russell’s Mercedes and fifth-placed Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.

With the form of Mercedes and Ferrari fluctuating wildly from race to race, from qualifying to long-distance races, team boss Clarke believes Alonso’s consistency shows that Aston Martin is in its development and setting. Select on “Didn’t Play Lottery”.

“I think it shows that we are a strong team,” Clarke replied when asked what was the key to being a newcomer to F1’s top four.

“It shows that we’re not gambling, we’re not playing the lottery, we’re making choices based on the data and the outcomes we have.

“That’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to stay consistent.”

But qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix showed Aston could make mistakes too. In order to save a set of soft tyres, Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll ran on their used soft tires in the second Q1 race. Due to massive improvements to the track, the strategy backfired and Stroll was eliminated in 18th.

“We made a big mistake (in qualifying),” Clark admitted. “So, we’ve been good in terms of development, but not in qualifying.”

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, 3rd, podium

Photography: Alexander Trienitz / motorsport pictures

With 18 races to go, F1’s developmental battle for 2023 has only just begun, and questions remain over whether Silverstone will be able to continue its fast-paced season, which will need to compete with Mercedes and Ferrari.

According to Krack, the team is also on the fence about how strong it will be at some of the high-speed outliers on the calendar, starting with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps in July.

“I think Monza, Las Vegas, Spa may still have a question mark,” Clarke explained. “But we still have time for some development.

“I think as a team you need to understand how your car is doing, how your car compares to the competition. We hear left and right that Mercedes is about to make a big step, so we can’t let up.

“But I think we also can’t focus on a single game, but accept them as they come and try to give our best every game.”