Fernando Alonso reveals why he was forced into "kamikaze" driving
Fernando Alonso reveals why he was forced into "kamikaze" driving
Fernando Alonso has revealed he was forced to resort to "kamikaze" driving after his engine developed a fault at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Alpine driver started from the front row of an F1 grid for the first time since the 2012 German GP behind only Red Bull's Max Verstappen but endured a torrid time during the race.
After electing not to stop in either of two early virtual safety car periods, the two-time F1 champion was forced to pit under green-flag conditions, compromising his race.
Asked where it had gotten away from him, Alonso said: "The engine. That is the only answer.
"We had an engine problem on lap 20 where we cut the energy very early on the straights, as soon as we exited the corners. We tried to fix it but it didn't work.
"Luckily we didn't retire the car and still scored a few points but until that point, we were fighting for the podium.
"At the beginning of the race, I felt strong compared to [Lewis] Hamilton. We didn't have the pace of [Max] Verstappen and [Carlos] Sainz."
Alonso goes crazy in the corners
Although Alonso finished seventh, he was later relegated to ninth after being hit with a five-second penalty for weaving when defending from Valtteri Bottas in the closing laps.
With Hamilton finishing third, Alonso was left with a feeling of what might have been.
"We were okay to control Hamilton and Mercedes, and then the virtual safety cars, lucky or unlucky, that changed the race, maybe we could still have been fighting for P3, P4," added Alonso.
"But when the engine problem came, it was just trying to survive, trying to get the DRS and driving kamikaze in the corners before the detection because the DRS was my only safety on the straights after that."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Verstappen takes F1 swipe at Hamilton and rivals with ruthless remark
- 16 minutes ago
Marko defends Ricciardo in 'unbelievable' idiot claim
- 1 hour ago
Hamilton hints at sensational Newey arrival at Ferrari
- 2 hours ago
Suspended Red Bull employee 'grilled' as Horner saga given potential END DATE
- 3 hours ago
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
- Today 18:58
F1 boss HITS BACK at star driver over schedule complaints
- Today 17:58
Related news
Ex-F1 boss names Canadian Grand Prix HEROES
Ferrari issue kept causing car to almost STOP during Canadian Grand Prix
Ferrari's true pace REVEALED by F1 expert after Canadian GP
Alonso's Canadian GP advantage over Hamilton EXPLAINED by F1 expert
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860