Fernando Alonso, a rare third place in Canada to dream

200 meters to go. Fernando Alonso was about to improve his lap and move into second position on the grid behind Max Verstappen when the Montreal semi-urban circuit was tinged with red flags and qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix came to a standstill.. Oscar Piastri, embedded against a wall, was the culprit. The loss of a place was the consequence for the Spaniard. Nothing serious. Despite this problem, after the incomplete lap, Alonso will start third this Sunday (8:00 p.m., DAZN) behind Verstappen and Nico Hulkemberg.

Qualifying in Montreal was the strangest of the year, marked by rain. First, due to its absence, because in Q2 the dry tires were used and that harmed those who placed it late, including Checo Pérez, Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll.. And then due to the appearance of a violent storm that sentenced Q3. Most of the drivers could only do one good lap and the three drivers who started the fastest on the track, Verstappen, Hulkemberg and Ocon, were the only ones to complete two.. The first two took the front row and Ocon finished sixth behind Alonso, third, and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Then the Piastri accident forced the activity to be suspended and when all the cars returned to the track there was already so much water, so much, so much water, that you could only survive. Impossible to roll fast. Verstappen took his fifth pole of the season, Hulkemberg celebrated in style -his best position on the grid since 2010- and Alonso had to settle for a third position that could have been more. “It has been a difficult qualy, it was difficult to know which tires to use at all times,” he commented, although he also valued the advantage: “Third position is good. We have to put pressure on the Red Bulls. I hope to be two seconds behind Max and not 20 seconds.”.

With the two Ferraris practically eliminated -Carlos Sainz finished eighth, but with the threat of suspension-, with 'Checo' Pérez forced to come back again and with Lance Stroll far behind, he is a clear candidate for the podium and even victory if Verstappen suffers any problem. The threat for the Spaniard will be those Mercedes that already surpassed him in Barcelona and that start right behind.