Alonso 'amazed' at F1 rivals on 'two-metre wide' track

Fernando Alonso has expressed his amazement at the lack of incidents after a changeable and weather-affected Canadian Grand Prix.

The race started in wet conditions, with the only contact of note on the opening lap coming at Turn 2 between Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez, breaking Perez's front-wing. 

Despite the track drying, it then raining again before drying for the final time, there was only one other major two-car incident in the race with Carlos Sainz collecting Alex Albon after a Turn 6 spin, with Logan Sargeant also deploying the safety car after an early crash at Turn 4.

Such were the conditions, Alonso heaped praise on his fellow drivers for the lack of major incidents.

"The race, for me was one of the most difficult races, for every one of the 20 drivers," he told media including RacingNews365 after leading a double Aston Martin points finish of sixth, with Lance Stroll seventh.

"I was amazed that nothing happened for so many laps, no incidents or anything because the conditions were extremely hard, so well done to everybody. 

"The track was just two meters wide with the dry line, so you couldn't put a tyre outside of it. 

"All in all, we got double points for the team, so we have to be happy."

Alonso vs Hamilton

As for the rest of his race, in the first stint on intermediates, Alonso kept the faster Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton behind, his former team-mate only getting past through the pit-stop sequence, as Alonso expressed his 'concern' at a team decision.

"I was a little bit concerned when we stopped for the first time because the track was dry and we put on new inters, as the forecast predicted a bit of rain, but that wasn't happening," he said. 

"Charles [Leclerc] tried to go for the dries, but at the end of the day, we made it okay and all the calls and other things were fine.

"There was not much to do in front of us and not many threats behind. There was a bit of defending from Lewis, but he was definitely one of the fastest cars on the track, so it was a matter of time before we would lose that position. 

"We understood a bit more about the car, and about the packages we've introduced this year, some of them need a little bit of fine-tuning in terms of set-up and maybe direction as well."