“I was stuck behind Fernando for a long long time as you would expect”, said Lewis Hamilton after the Canadian GP. Alonso is known for his defensive masterclass and Hamilton has been the victim one too many times. The 2021 Hungarian GP where Alonso helped Ocon win by keeping the 7X champ behind is a classic example. However, enough credit isn’t usually given to Alonso’s overtaking prowess and his ultimate move against Hamilton in Canada went unnoticed. So, what was it?
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have had some great on-track fights over the years, and the 2024 Canadian GP was one of those. In 2023, Alonso attacked Hamilton, but this year, the roles were reversed. Eventually, the following driver overtook the one in front in both years, but it was not without putting up a major challenge. After a bad qualifying, Hamilton started the race behind Alonso and was stuck behind him for the first stint.
USA Today via Reuters
While the Top 4 extended their lead over Alonso, the Spaniard kept the faster Lewis Hamilton behind him in the tricky damp conditions. Ending Lap 6, Alonso locked up before the final chicane and went straight on, giving Hamilton a run on him. The 7X champ wasn’t able to break in time before Turn 1, locked up, and went straight on cutting the corner. Hamilton had to give the position back to Alonso. The Aston Martin driver was however on the wetter side of the track, and as he overtook Hamilton, his car aquaplaned and the AMR24 snapped.
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However, just like the 2024 Chinese GP, where Alonso controlled the snap after dipping a tire in the gravel while following Lewis Hamilton, he did the miraculous job of saving the car while taking P5 back from the Briton. Then, Hamilton overtook him in the pitlane, putting an end to the battle as Alonso did not have the pace to fight the Mercedes. While the Aston Martin is nowhere near the result they were churning out in 2023, Alonso was happy with the improvement at the 2024 Canadian GP and the double points finish.
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Fernando Alonso shares his take on Lewis Hamilton’s trajectory
With over 2 decades of experience in F1, one wouldn’t think that any conditions would be hard for someone like Alonso. But the 2024 Canadian GP was indeed one of the most challenging races with rain hitting the track at intervals, barely having a car width of dry line, and then driving off the dry line to keep the intermediate tires cool, it was truly a challenge. Alonso did find the race challenging as he explained his side during the post-race interviews while acknowledging Lewis Hamilton’s speedy trajectory.
via Reuters
Elaborating on the matter, Fernando Alonso said, “The race, for me, was one of the most difficult, and it will have been so for each of the 20 drivers,” as he continued, “The dry line was only two meters wide, you couldn’t put a tire outside that area. In the end, we scored points with two cars, so we must be happy.” Opening up about having a lonely race after Hamilton passed him, Alonso further added, “There wasn’t much to do in front of us and there wasn’t much threat behind us. Lewis was definitely one of the fastest on the track, it was a matter of time before we lost that position”
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What did you make of Fernando Alonso’s incredible save at the 2024 Canadian GP? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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