Fernando Alonso speaks to the media.
Making his way into Q3 in Montreal, Fernando Alonso landed a dig at his former F1 team Ferrari who couldn’t make it out of Q2 despite coming to “win the World Championship” after Monaco.
Alonso’s previous attempt at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix resulted in a disappointing outcome as he did not manage to earn any points. The race, which lacked excitement and offered little opportunity for overtaking, was ultimately won by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso: We are in front of good people…
Closing the gap to Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the standings, pundits and fans alike dreamed of a title fight.
However, despite Leclerc’s attempt to downplay it, firmly stating that he was not focusing on the championship, he did mention to the media before the Canadian Grand Prix that his goal was to consistently win races every weekend.
He stated, “In the past seven to eight months, I believe we have made greater improvements than any other group. Our primary focus should be on the process rather than the end result. Achieving a positive outcome will only be possible through dedicated and well-executed work.”
Unfortunately, Ferrari seems to have missed their mark in Montreal as neither Leclerc nor Carlos Sainz were able to progress beyond Q2 during Saturday’s qualifying session.
Leclerc, who was outpaced by Lance Stroll by a mere 0.032s in Q2, failed to qualify and will start the race in 11th position on the grid. Meanwhile, Sainz will begin in 12th place.
In contrast, Aston Martin got both cars into the top ten where Alonso is sixth and Stroll P9.
The Spaniard couldn’t help but take a jab, even mentioning Sergio Perez who failed to advance past Q1.
He informed DAZN that they were surrounded by great individuals, including Perez and the two Ferraris that unexpectedly emerged as contenders for the World Championship following the Monaco race.
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‘Luck will be needed’ predicts Fernando Alonso
The double World Champion, who has been pursuing his first points since the Miami Grand Prix, acknowledges that luck will have a role to play in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. This is due to the predicted rainfall throughout the 70-lap race.
He informed the media, “After the last two events where we were eliminated in Q1, it was certainly a favorable starting position. Those races were essentially over for us. However, with our current starting positions of P6 and P9, we now have an opportunity to earn some points.”
This weekend, we noticed an improvement in the car’s performance, which made us feel slightly more confident while driving it.
“Tomorrow’s focus will primarily be on tire management, as the absence of P2 long runs leaves us with some uncertainty for the race.”
“If it happens to rain, the race becomes crucially dependent on timing. A single misjudgment of when to switch to intermediate tires, either a lap too late or a lap too early, can ruin your chances of winning.”
“Everyone will require a touch of luck.”
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