Aston Martin are just getting started on a big adventure and for double world champion Fernando Alonso, back on the Formula One podium at 41 years of age and in his 20th season, it seems too good to be true.

The evergreen Spaniard was even talking about future wins after finishing third in Sunday’s Bahrain season-opener behind the Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen, also a double champion, and Sergio Perez.

Aston Martin, seventh in the championship last year, were suddenly second in the standings and beating both Ferrari and Mercedes.

“When you are P3 in race one, there are 22 (more) opportunities this season,” Alonso said of a possible 33rd career victory.

“You know, anything can happen in 22 races with different conditions. And, you know I will try my best to have the opportunity. Maybe we need some help.

“Maybe this year if there is this help or there are some retirements in front of us or some problems maybe it’s more than a podium.”

Alonso said he had the same feeling that he got from testing last month — “too good to be true.”

The car had areas that needed improving but the project was still in its infancy, he added. “This is just the beginning. This is not the final car, this is just the starting car of this concept that we changed over winter.

“I think some of the top teams they have just kept the philosophy that they had last year. Red Bull or Ferrari kept more of the same shapes. Just, fine-tuning things and making perfection of that good baseline that they had.

“For us, it was much more difficult. We have to change 95 per cent of the car. So, there is more to learn from the car, and there is more to come on our side.”

Alonso had started fifth but dropped to seventh. The Spaniard then fought back, passing the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.