From GMM

Renault Formula 1 team driver Fernando Alonso told the Spanish press after crashing out of the Canadian grand prix that the team's "terrible" strategy mistake cost him a possible win at Montreal.

Fernando Alonso

Although the Spaniard crashed out of third place on lap 45, he would have still needed to pit again, leading the 26-year-old to assume that seventh or eighth was the likely outcome at the chequered flag.

"That's why it was so important to overtake Heidfeld," said the Renault driver, who spun into the wall while trying a different racing line to attack his BMW rival.

"The strategy was a big mistake. We could have won the race if we had stayed on the track rather than pitting with the safety car," he added.

Alonso told the Spanish newspaper Diario AS that he is particularly annoyed about his team's bad strategy call because opportunities to fight at the front will be scarce with his current car.

"What happened with Hamilton and Raikkonen is obviously not normal. We will not have many chances to fight with BMW for the podium.

"It was presented to us but not collected," he added.

"I asked on the radio twice if they were sure that strategy was the best one, and they said yes. But when I saw Heidfeld in front, I realised that I was right."

Renault's engineering boss Pat Symonds defended Alonso's strategy at Montreal by pointing out that race winner Robert Kubica also pitted with the safety car.

Alonso said: "I have not spoken to anyone at the team about it yet."


Photo Credit : Renault F1 Team