Fernando Alonso, driver of the Aston Martin F1 Team AMR24, couldn’t resist making a playful comment about his former employer, Ferrari. During the qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix, Alonso managed to surpass both Ferrari cars and secure a spot in Q3. Ferrari took a risk by going out early with new tires, hoping for rain to interrupt the session. However, the rain never came and Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had to continue with worn tires, resulting in their 11th and 12th positions. Alonso, on the other hand, finished in a respectable sixth place in qualifying and took the opportunity to poke fun at Ferrari, which some consider to be a title contender. Alonso ironically commented: “We are close to good people, aren’t we? In front of Perez and the two Ferraris that suddenly came to win the World Championship after Monte Carlo,” in an interview with Marca.
The recent struggles of Ferrari have been similar to those of Aston Martin. While Leclerc managed to win the previous race in Monte Carlo, Alonso faced elimination in Q1 for the second consecutive time. However, in Montreal, Alonso showed a return to his early season qualifying form, finishing in sixth place. He expressed satisfaction with Aston Martin’s progress after the qualifying session, saying: “I think it was a good weekend for us so far, a good Friday and today a bit more competitive than the last two events.” Alonso acknowledged the strong competition on the grid and the narrow margins that can make a significant difference in qualifying. He lamented not having made a perfect lap in Q3, as he believed that could have put him on pole position.
In the last two races, Alonso has not been able to score points despite the team’s efforts to improve the car’s performance. However, he remains hopeful that Saturday’s qualifying session will be a positive sign for the future. Alonso stated: “I think we are understanding many things about the car, but this is the first step towards, hopefully, a recovery plan.” He acknowledged the importance of a better starting position and emphasized the need for focus during the race, especially considering the unpredictable weather conditions. Alonso concluded by saying: “If it rains, if you pit one lap too late or one lap too early with the wrong tire, that means your race is over. So we have to stay focused tomorrow.”
