Former Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso has regained a aggressive edge with a automotive that now permits him to problem the frontrunners in Formulation 1 as soon as once more. Aston Martin’s latest technical improve has considerably boosted the efficiency of a group that had been struggling earlier within the season.
Regardless of their enhancements, the Silverstone-based group stays eighth within the constructors’ championship, having amassed simply 22 factors from the primary 10 races. The Spaniard, nonetheless, has began to indicate indicators of progress, scoring his first factors of the season on the Spanish Grand Prix and including extra at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. Notably, Alonso certified inside the highest six for the third time within the final 4 races, a transparent indicator of Aston Martin’s upward momentum. Though he certified behind some rivals akin to Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, Norris’s late crash elevated Fernando Alonso again to seventh on the grid.
On the race begin, the two-time F1 world champion lined up on the third row alongside his longtime rival Lewis Hamilton and completed the race only one place behind him. Earlier than the race, Alonso had overtly defended Hamilton by remarking that this 12 months’s Ferrari is ‘troublesome to drive,’ just like the 2024 Mercedes, highlighting the challenges confronted by the drivers (through Motorsport).
Throughout the Canadian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso voiced criticism of Lewis Hamilton’s racecraft in an unbroadcasted radio alternate. The incident occurred after Lando Norris crashed whereas trying to overhaul Oscar Piastri, which triggered a late security automotive deployment that successfully froze the race standings as a result of inadequate time for a restart. This sequence sparked controversy, particularly amongst Purple Bull, who have been displeased with George Russell’s conduct on the entrance. Purple Bull lodged a protest claiming Russell had intentionally tried to get Max Verstappen penalized, and so they additionally raised issues about George Russell falling too far behind the security automotive.
Amidst these tensions, Fernando Alonso privately expressed to his race engineer, Andrew Vizard, that Lewis Hamilton had failed to take care of the required proximity to the vehicles forward throughout the security automotive interval. Fernando Alonso’s feedback, as reported by DAZN, indicated frustration: he instructed Vizard that the Briton had “missed the lesson” about staying near the pack. Vizard responded by confirming they’d reviewed the scenario however didn’t escalate the matter to the FIA, implying Aston Martin discovered no grounds for a proper grievance. Fernando Alonso, essentially the most seasoned driver on the grid, was clearly utilizing each out there tactic to maximise his race consequence.
Lewis Hamilton managed to get well to sixth place in Montreal, although his place benefited partially from Norris’s late retirement. All through the race, Hamilton battled a number of points, most prominently struggling round 20 factors of downforce loss after hitting a groundhog, which broken the ground of his automotive and certain contributed to instability on the rear. Brake issues additionally plagued the seven-time world champion as soon as once more, with stories of an unusually lengthy brake pedal journey throughout the race, a problem recurring for Hamilton this season.
It’s understood that Hamilton stays hopeful that Ferrari’s upcoming rear suspension improve on the British Grand Prix will resolve a few of these technical setbacks. This improve represents his final main alternative to show round what has been a irritating and disappointing debut season with the Scuderia.