After scoring his first points of the season in Barcelona, Fernando Alonso hopes to continue this stint at the Canadian GP. The Spanish driver lines up P6 on Sunday, after an impressive lap in qualifying.
Alonso has been steadily improving throughout the free practice sessions and managed to deliver, putting in an amazing lap when it counted in Q3.
While the team chose to stick to the soft tyre for most of the free practice sessions, they opted to put on mediums for his lap during Q3 of the Qualifying session. The medium tyre appeared the best option for qualifying, as George Russell also used a set to take pole position with a stunning 1:10.899.
When speaking to the media after the session, the two-time World Champion expressed his joy with the team’s qualifying decisions.
“I think we maximised for sure the potential of the car this weekend. I feel happier with the car since Imola, since the upgrade.”
He continued on to emphasize the difference between the feeling of the car now, and earlier this season, stating:
“At the beginning of the year, it was a challenge for me to understand what the car needed and what kind of direction in the setup I had to go. And since Imola, it seems that I’m more comfortable, I can be more precise on the feedback and make the setup changes that I know will make the car faster.”
Although they have had a difficult season, Aston Martin appear to be moving forward in the right direction.
Expectations for the race
With several strong drivers lining up around him, the race will no doubt bring plenty of battles and excitement. When asked about his expectations for the race on Sunday, Alonso stated:
“I think it’s going to be a challenge for sure. Difficult, Norris P7 and Leclerc P8. A little bit unrealistic to think that we will finish ahead of them, but maybe something happens in front of us. I’m not starting the race thinking I will lose positions. I’m starting the race thinking that I will gain positions, so let’s see.”
The champion seems ready for whatever comes his way tomorrow during the Canadian GP, and he will want to fight his way up the grid.
