Fernando Alonso says double points finish in F1 Canadian GP was the maximum Aston Martin could have done, amid praise for drivers.
It has been a difficult run for Aston Martin where they have fallen behind the Top 3 teams along with Mercedes to start the 2024 season. But Montreal was the kind of circuit that suited their car and they eventually made the most of it in tricky conditions.
They were on pace since the start of F1 Canadian GP weekend and it paid off with double Q3 and also double points on Sunday. Alonso ended up sixth and Lance Stroll was seventh, albeit both in a lonely land in the latter part of the grand prix.
Alonso started off defending fifth from Lewis Hamilton but the Brit managed to take it from him in the pits. There was some scare for the Spaniard in terms of strategy when they pitted for intermediate, but the forecast proved to be true with the rain falling.
There was overall praise for the drivers too from Alonso in a race which saw no major mishaps. “Not much to do for us, the cars ahead were a little bit faster and not many threat behind,” he said. “There was a little bit of defending with Lewis, he was definitely one of the fastest on track and it was a matter of time that we would lose that position.
“I think it was a difficult race to execute for everyone, the car was just two meters wide with the dry line, so you cannot put the tyre outside the dry line, so all in all we saved the day. Double points for the team, we have to be happy. It was the maximum as we are understanding more and more the car, the package that we introduced this year, some of it need a little bit of fine tuning in terms of set-up, maybe in terms of direction as well.
“The set-up is a crucial thing here in Montreal with all the kerb riding and the race for me was one of the most difficult races,…in fact, for everyone, for the 20 drivers, not only for us. I was amazed that nothing happened for many-many laps, no incidents, nothing, the conditions were extremely hard, so well done to everyone.
“Definitely, it was the right call [with strategy]. I was a little bit concerned when we stopped at the first stop because the track was dry and we put new inters because the forecast was predicting a little bit of rain. If the rain didn’t arrive, then I was little bit concerned that we went for the wrong call.
“I think Charles tried with the hard, at the end of the day we made it okay and all the calls were okay and fine,” summed up Alonso. Teammate Stroll concurred with the Spaniard as he felt Aston Martin did all they should have done considering how the track suits their car.
“It was one of the most difficult races that I can remember in long time, in terms of conditions, being on the right tyre at the right time, making the right calls and predicting the forecast and all these things, just the track in general,” he said.
“It bites you so quick when you get a little bit wrong with the walls on the exits, we managed get to the chequered flag on the right tyre throughout the race and on the right strategy by staying out of trouble. I had a lock-up at Turn 13, went straight but saved it. It was super tricky conditions throughout the race.
“All in all, the track suited our car, quick in the straightline, not so much downforce and efficient DRS. We capitalise on the weekend where the car was pretty strong all weekend,” summed up Stroll.
Here’s how F1 Canadian GP panned out
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