Fernando Alonso's weekend in Montréal went from bad to worse when Aston Martin was hit with two separate stewards' investigations after chaotic moments in both the sprint and the main qualifying sessions.
Before Canadian Grand Prix qualifying began, Alonso was released into the pit-lane path of Franco Colapinto's Alpine, an unsafe release the stewards said they would investigate after qualifying. The team faced a second probe for releasing Lance Stroll's car in an unsafe condition when a wheel fairing sprang loose as he entered the pit lane.
The incidents compounded an already difficult weekend for the team: neither Alonso nor Stroll made it out of Q1 in Canadian Grand Prix qualifying, leaving them set to start 19th and 21st on the grid. Those starting positions follow a Friday that had already been disrupted by events in the sprint format.
On Friday in Montréal, Alonso crashed in sprint qualifying after locking up at Turn 3. The crash brought out the red flags with just under two minutes left in SQ1 of the 12-minute session and left Alonso's car damaged enough that, while he had set a time good enough to reach SQ2, he was unable to take part in that next sprint segment. Alonso was P14 on the time sheets when the incident occurred and ultimately was the only driver who retired from the sprint because of a technical issue.
Stroll's sprint was compromised earlier when a suspension issue forced him to start from the pit lane despite being due to start 17th. He recovered to finish 16th of the 21 drivers who completed the sprint, but the mechanical problem added to the list of troubles for the team heading into Saturday's sessions.
The pit-lane release involving Alonso and the loose wheel fairing on Stroll's car were flagged for official review after qualifying. Stewards announced two separate investigations: one into the Alonso release into Colapinto's path and another into Aston Martin's decision to send Stroll out in a condition that allowed a fairing to detach as he entered the pit lane. Those inquiries followed the immediate operational failures on track and will be examined on the stewards' timetable.
Operational errors and mechanical gremlins have left Aston Martin scrambling in Montréal. The sprint crash not only damaged Alonso's car but also eliminated his chance to compete in SQ2 of the sprint despite having set a competitive time. Stroll's suspension issue and subsequent pit-lane start underlined the fragility of the team's weekend recovery plan.
By the time qualifying concluded, Aston Martin had both of its cars out in Q1 and two pending steward investigations to answer. Alonso and Stroll will head into Sunday with damaged equipment, compromised starting positions and questions from race officials about team procedures in the pit lane.
For Alonso, who was P14 in the sprint when his lock-up at Turn 3 ended his run, the Montreal sequence is starkly simple: a crash that cost him further sprint action, a main qualifying session interrupted by pit-lane controversy, and a damaged car that left him unable to capitalize on a time that should have taken him through to SQ2. The team now faces the immediate task of repairing cars and answering the stewards' questions before the Canadian Grand Prix itself.
