RED FLAG: Alonso Crashes Out of SQ1 as Chaotic Canadian GP Weekend Continues
The carnage at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve shows no signs of slowing down. Fernando Alonso locked up and went head-first into the barriers at Turn 3 during SQ1, bringing out yet another red flag. The Aston Martin driver sat 14th at the time of the incident and will not take part in SQ2 if the session cannot be restarted.
Speaking after the incident, Alonso explained that he locked up the front tyres and there was simply nothing he could do once the car got away from him. The Spaniard admitted he was sitting in 14th and was pushing hard to climb out of the elimination zone when it went wrong — a frustrating end to an already difficult weekend for Aston Martin.
This marks the fourth red flag of what has been a brutal weekend in Montreal. Practice was already stopped three times — first for a Liam Lawson car failure, then for Alex Albon crashing after hitting a groundhog, and finally for Esteban Ocon spinning into the wall. Albon was subsequently unable to take part in Sprint Qualifying after Williams confirmed the damage was far greater than initially thought. For a full breakdown of every stoppage so far, check out our piece on all red flags explained.
With the clock stopped and just 1 minute 46 seconds remaining in SQ1, the drivers currently in the elimination zone — Perez, Stroll, Gasly and Bottas — face an anxious wait. Whether there is enough time to get the session restarted and give them one final shot at escaping the drop zone remains to be seen.
Hamilton had been finding momentum at the top, posting a 1:13.889, while Verstappen managed a strong third after a purple first sector. But all eyes are now on race control to see whether SQ1 can resume in time.
A weekend that started with a groundhog and has barely gone five minutes without drama — welcome to Montreal.
This article will be updated as the session progresses. For full times and standings, head to our Sprint Qualifying results page.
