Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso and McLaren knew the Canadian GP weekend would be difficult, with the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s long straights.
But the Spaniard has now admitted the straightline speed deficit to his rivals was “dangerous” during the race.
Race day speed trap figures showed Alonso was 16mph behind the fastest driver, Sebastian Vettel and his 213mph benchmark. Stoffel Vandoorne’s second McLaren was a bit quicker though, hitting 205mph.
Alonso looked on course for a point until his engine failed late on, but despite the earlier than planned exit he was still in a good enough mood to go see fans in the grandstand. Which was nice.
Explaining the lack of top speed, he said:
“The race itself was already hard enough given the lack of power. They were passing us in the middle of the straights and sometimes it was even dangerous with such a speed difference.”
His Monaco replacement Jenson Button got a grid penalty for exceeding the car’s allowance of power unit components and Alonso thinks the Canada engine failure will give him a penalty for Baku:
“It is not only that we lost a point today and we lost another race, we will start last in Baku because Jenson changed the power unit in Monaco and started last. Here we lost a power unit and in Baku we will start last again. The situation is definitely not nice.”
When will McLaren’s nightmare with Honda end? Maybe his suggestion of a full-time IndyCar switch in the future will come sooner than we think…
