- Canadian GP - Race
Ferrari flattered by final result - Alonso
Fernando Alonso says the late collision which elevated him to sixth put gloss on the Canadian Grand Prix for Ferrari after fighting for scraps lower down the field for much of the race.
Alonso came into the weekend talking of a challenge to Red Bull but while the entertainment was unfolding out in front the Spaniard was battling for sixth with Nico Hulkenberg and Jenson Button. Alonso crossed the line behind both drivers but had risen to sixth after Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez's last-lap accident and he is under no illusions it does not reflect where Ferrari was all weekend.
"It was a difficult race, no doubt, difficult qualifying and difficult weekend in general, and hopefully next one we can do better," Alonso said. "Obviously we got some extra points with the DNFs at the end but they are lucky points, we are still trying to do a good race. We did improve mainly the aero performance of the car this weekend.
"There are some new parts that we didn't use due to the temperature, but on the engine side there were minimum changes related to the software so I don't think the step was something that we could feel. In the first part I was not very comfortable with the balance and then in the second part I did improve and was more competitive."
Ferrari arrived in Canada optimistic aerodynamic and engine upgrades would push it up the field but Alonso says he just did not have the power to overtake in some areas.
"I reached the group with the front cars but then we were too slow in the straights, which was frustrating as we were unable to pass. We stopped more or less in the laps we would liked to have stopped and put ourselves in the position in the end to have quite a fresh set of tyres to overtake if we had the pace and the top speed necessary to overtake, which we didn't have. That is a shame but I think we did the maximum with what we have. Without the DNFs our positions were ninth and 14th, I think, and that is not enough."
Alonso spent the final stint trying to find a way past the Mercedes-powered car of Hulkenberg but admits Ferrari's power disadvantage made it next to impossible, before both lost out to an opportunistic Button.
"I tried to pass Hulkenberg in very strange places to try to get the overtaking done, which I managed to do but we both went offline and nearly hit the grass and then Button took the opportunity to overtake, and then Hulkenberg overtook me back on the straight and that was it."
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