Fernando Alonso's 5-word response to his race engineer's advice to be gentle

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso fired back at his race engineer, Andrew Vizard, for suggesting to drive 'gently' in the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. The Spaniard didn't take the advice lightly and replied that he is racing and not testing.

Alonso had a strong qualifying session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, on Saturday (June 14), as he finished P6. Moreover, during the race on Sunday, he had a good start. Due to higher tire degradation, the Spanish driver pitted early but lost some time and pace due to undisclosed reasons.

Interestingly, Alonso was told to drive gently around turns 3 and 8. His race engineer, Andrew Vizard, asked him to be gentle at the entry. However, the advice didn't sit well with the Spaniard as he fired back, saying:

"We are racing, not testing."

Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix held earlier this month. He finished P9 to grab two points for Aston Martin since Lance Stroll missed out due to a wrist injury.

Now, in Canada, he is fighting for some points again. However, due to high tire degradation and scorching track temperature, drivers are struggling to do long stints. Alonso has already done his first pit stop but would likely be required to pit again.

His teammate Stroll, meanwhile, is struggling at P17. He started the race from P18 and has managed to gain just one place. He's also completed his first pit stop but is currently more than a minute behind the front-runners. By the early looks of it, Stroll appears unlikely to score any points in Canada.

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Fernando Alonso on Aston Martin's tire choice in the qualifying session

Fernando Alonso at F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Aston Martin went against the grain in the qualifying session of the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix as they put Fernando Alonso on a medium tire compound instead of the traditional soft tire choice. The Spaniard said that the tire choice won't hurt his race on Sunday.

Talking to media on Saturday, Alonso said (via Motorsportweek):

“Yeah, I mean, in Imola we have that feeling that the C5, especially on our car, gives us the confidence to push a little bit more. Then in Monaco it was 50-50, and then here it was still 50-50. Even after qualifying, I am still not sure which tire because some people are faster on the red tire than the medium. But we still believe that on our car, it’s a little bit more robust, the medium."

Not only that, Fernando Alonso also added that medium tires could offer him an advantage at the race start. So far, the Spaniard appears likely to score points in Canada. However, a late safety car or red flag could turn the tables significantly.