Fernando Alonso departed Canada two weeks ago disappointed after another troubled weekend and retirement for the McLaren-Honda team, but has admitted that heading into this weekend’s event in Austria that Montreal has been largely forgotten about.
The Spaniard and team-mate Jenson Button both failed to see the chequered flag at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but admits that he has seen the progress the team have made this season, and is not dwelling on the difficult races.
“Montreal was a difficult race for the whole team – we expected it to be tough because of the nature of the circuit, but obviously a double retirement was especially disappointing,” said Alonso.
“But, of course, just because a weekend doesn’t go to plan, it doesn’t mean we give up.
“We’re still seeing great progress every weekend, and we hope Austria will be the same. Our most important focus is reliability, so that we can get the most time on track in order to make the biggest improvements we can.”
Looking forward, Alonso feels the Red Bull Ring circuit, the host of this weekends Austrian Grand Prix, is a ‘physical’ and ‘interesting’ one to drive, and is hoping for a more competitive weekend on a circuit he enjoys racing on.
“This is a very physical circuit with four long, fast straights and heavy braking in the corners, so it’ll be challenging for our package, but it’s a really interesting track to race on,” said Alonso.
“Spielberg is a beautiful location for a grand prix and going back there last year after an 11-year break was a great experience. It’s still the great circuit it was, and there are quite a few overtaking opportunities, which make it even more enjoyable.
“We’ve already put the last race behind us and I’m keen to get out there, race hard with our nearest competitors, and hopefully have some fun.”
