Aston Martin F1 Team
Fernando and Lance secured a positive double points finish at the 2024 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, navigating tricky conditions to finish sixth and seventh, respectively.
Rain fell before the start of the Grand Prix, soaking the track. Fernando and Lance started the race on Intermediate tyres.
Though no further rain fell in the race’s early stages, conditions were treacherous as the pack grappled with low levels of grip. As the first half of the race progressed, tyre management became increasingly crucial. The drivers needed to eke out their Inters on a drying track before a second shower arrived.
A Safety Car period sparked by Logan Sargeant’s crash allowed both drivers to pit for fresh Inters just before the rain fell again. Towards the end of the race, the rain abated, providing drivers and teams with the conundrum of when to stop for slick tyres.
The team got the timing to switch right, as Fernando and Lance completed their final stops before keeping things clean to achieve a double-points finish.
Fernando Alonso
I’m super happy with our performance today. It was a tricky race – one of the trickiest I can remember – and the changing conditions kept us on our toes, but we handled it well.
The first stint was really about managing tyres, especially as the track began to dry. Then, we were able to pit for another set of Intermediates under the Safety Car for the second round of rain. We judged the switch to the Hard compound well and kept it on track while others struggled.
The characteristics of this circuit definitely suited our car, but we did a good job of staying focused and making the most of the opportunities that came our way.
Lance Stroll
It was a good race for the team and finishing in sixth and seventh positions in an extremely challenging race weekend is a good result. I think we can be more optimistic heading into Barcelona.
Despite the mixed weather conditions, it ended up being a lonely race for me. There wasn’t much we could do with the top five cars ahead as they were a little bit too fast today, and there were not too many threats behind us.
With the changeable conditions, it was stressful. You had to avoid making a mistake and switch the tyres at the right time. Most importantly, we brought both cars home and scored double points for the team.
Mike Krack, Team Principal:
A busy home race in Montréal – we made good strategic calls at the right time and the team carried out solid pit stops including a double stack when we went to dry tyres.
Lance and Fernando drove faultlessly in difficult conditions and we were rewarded with having both cars finishing in the points in P6 and P7.
I’m pleased Lance was able to get a solid result in front of the Canadian fans. It has been a better weekend for us as we learn more about recent upgrades and extract more performance from the AMR24. Our focus now shifts to Barcelona and Fernando’s home Grand Prix, but we need to keep unlocking more pace to challenge our closest competitors.
