It’s a sight we’re all used to now – Alonso’s McLaren, being parked by the side of the circuit with a problem during a practice session.
He had such a good time in IndyCar at the Indianapolis 500, was on course for a good result before his engine blew up, but was still very competitive.
Then it was back down to reality in FP1 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with Alonso’s car suffering a possible gearbox problem with 18 minutes to go.
He’d only just put in his first timed lap of the session, having gone out earlier on but having a late start to proper FP1 running.
Then, going through the second sector, he slowed with an issue and stopped at the hairpin – like fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr did earlier on when his Renault engine blew up.
Speaking when he got back to the paddock, Alonso said the “gearbox was doing a strange thing” but it was “too early to say” what the issue was.
He added that McLaren are “used to it”. However, obviously keen to put a positive spin on it, it said the stoppage “is not a problem”. He’ll be hoping so, anyway…
Those wins Alonso wants by September, if he’s going to stay at McLaren, look very far away, don’t they?
