Fernando Alonso says he feels more at ease in the AMR25, crediting recent upgrades for a strong sixth in Canada qualifying.
Fernando Alonso secured an impressive sixth-place time in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. The Aston Martin F1 driver doesn’t believe he could have done better and credits his rapid progress to the updates introduced by his team in Imola.
“We maximised the car’s potential this weekend, for sure. I’ve been feeling more comfortable in the car since Imola, since we brought the upgrades,” said the two-time world champion.
“At the beginning of the year, it was a challenge for me to understand what the car needed and which direction to take with the setup. Since Imola, I’ve been more precise in my feedback and I know what makes the car quicker. Three Q3 appearances in the last four races obviously boosts the team’s confidence.”
Asked whether he can maintain this position in the race, he remains cautious: “It’s going to be a challenge for sure, Norris is seventh, Leclerc is eighth, and it’s a bit unrealistic to expect to finish ahead of them. But maybe something will happen up front. I’m not going into the race thinking I’ll lose positions, I’m going in thinking I’ll gain some.”
Lance Stroll qualified 18th after being knocked out in Q1, and the Canadian admits it will be a “tough race from the back” of the grid. However, he can identify the reasons behind his elimination.
“The car wasn’t bad, I just wasn’t lucky with the red flag. We had been strong on softs since the start of the session, but we tried the mediums thinking they’d be better. They needed several prep laps and I only had time for one, so I didn’t generate enough temperature.”
