The beloved Spanish F1 driver has a new company car.
Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso's new company car is a brand-new Aston Martin DBX707, and he's not afraid to push it to the limit. The British automaker revealed as much in a new promotional video featuring its go-faster SUV and newly-acquired F1 driver in which Alonso aims for the perfect lap, narrating the key elements to eking out tenths of a second at and beyond the car's limits.
It's an intensely philosophical piece, talking about the perfect lap and what you must do to achieve it. According to 'Nando, it's all about living on the limit. “A computer can predict it, but sometimes a champion can better it,” says Alonso. If you look at the video below, you can see the difference between us mere mortals and F1 drivers. We know the DBX707 is one of the most entertaining SUVs around, but the stuff Alonso does with it is majestic. Look at the slow-motion footage and how beautifully he places the car a hair's length from the track limits.
The video would have been more entertaining if Fernando was driving Aston Martin's final V12 DBS instead of an SUV. Still, we understand why the DBX is front and center in Aston's promotional stuff.
As you might know, Aston Martin has been in financial trouble since forever. It has been bankrupt seven times and constantly toes the line between just making the cut and going under. Late last year, the current majority stakeholders had to fend off a hostile takeover from Chinese automaker Geely, and that was after fresh Middle Eastern investment earlier in the year to keep the automaker in business.
To remedy the situation, Aston Martin made the DBX, hoping it would have the Porsche Cayenne effect. Some people like to believe that the Boxster saved Porsche, but without the Cayenne, Porsche wouldn't be around today.
The approach is working, as Aston Martin sold 6,178 units during the DBX's first year on sale in 2021. Even though the DBX wasn't available for the entire year, that figure represented an 82% increase in sales. The full and final 2022 figures haven't been published yet, but three quarters of the way through the year, Aston revealed a 40% increase in DBX rders from the year before.
This might be Aston Martin's year, however. The Valkyrie is finally ready to go to customers, and the rumor mill suggests that several F1 drivers are on the waiting list for the Adrian Newey-designed hypercar.
Aston is also celebrating 110 years of existence this year, and the Formula 1 team is in good shape. It's currently building a new factory and has a two-time F1 world champion behind the wheel. As you can tell from the video, Fernando knows how to drive a car up to and beyond the limit. Interestingly, Alonso was also the second-fastest after day 1 of the 2023 F1 pre-season testing. We know that doesn't mean much, but we can't wait to see 'Nando debut in green on 5 March in Bahrain.
We don't know who wrote the script for this particular promotional video, but it's very much along the same lines as a speech given by Ken Miles (played by Christian Bale) in the epic movie Ford v Ferrari. We include it further down below, if only because it's one of those things you should always watch when the opportunity presents itself.
Keyword: Watch Fernando Alonso Drive The Perfect Hot Lap In An Aston Martin DBX707