Alonso described the F1 Canadian GP as “70 laps of qualifying” for him. Despite losing out to Lewis Hamilton initially and encountering a near collision during pitstops, Alonso managed to regain his starting position by utilizing DRS and overtaking his former teammate on lap 22 out of 70. Throughout the race, Hamilton relentlessly pursued Alonso, but the Spaniard dropped his lap times in the final stages to secure the runner-up spot behind the dominant Max Verstappen.
Alonso acknowledged the constant pressure from the Mercedes threat, stating that there was no moment during the race where he could relax. He likened the intense battle to a qualifying session, emphasizing the demanding nature of the competition. Despite hoping to challenge the Red Bull further, Alonso acknowledged that they lost a place at the start due to Hamilton’s maneuver.
Alonso also noted that the balance of performance shifted in Hamilton’s favor as the race progressed. The Mercedes W14 took time to find its rhythm compared to the upgraded AMR23, which displayed superior initial speed. Alonso admitted that it was a challenging race that felt like “70 laps of qualifying.”
Looking ahead to the Austrian GP in July, Alonso expressed the team’s goal of exerting more pressure on Max Verstappen. While he followed team instructions to ease off towards the end of the Canadian GP, helping Verstappen secure victory, Alonso believed that the car had potential and hoped for increased pace in the upcoming race. The objective was to intensify the competition against Verstappen and the Red Bull team.
