Pierre Gasly experienced another difficult session in Montreal, eliminated in Q2 of the qualifying for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, after also hitting a marmot on track.
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The Canadian weekend is turning into a headache for Pierre Gasly. Already eliminated early during the sprint session, the Alpine driver failed to reverse the trend in the classic qualifying, this time failing in Q2 while his teammate Franco Colapinto managed to reach Q3.
A frustrating situation for the Frenchman, especially since the feeling behind the wheel seems to have deteriorated over several races.
A marmot hit and damage to the car
Like Alexander Albon the day before, Gasly was also involved in an incident with a marmot on the Montreal circuit. The contact damaged the floor of his Alpine, making his session even more difficult.
While this episode clearly penalized his performance, the driver insists on a more global problem that goes beyond this isolated incident. Gasly believes that the current situation of the Alpine is worrying, especially since the arrival of the latest upgrades introduced in Miami.
“It’s sure that it’s been two weekends where something is wrong” he explained, mentioning a lack of overall performance.
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“Hitting the marmot didn’t help, but there are clearly other things that are not normal. We are not where we should be.”
The Frenchman describes a car that is difficult to exploit, with problems in braking, cornering, and traction.
Alpine under pressure before a tricky race
Gasly does not want to directly blame the recent upgrades, suggesting that the problem could be deeper and structural.
Meanwhile, the French driver is preparing for a particularly delicate race, with weather conditions announced as wet or even rainy.
“In the rain, it will be very complicated” he acknowledged, anticipating a wear race where tire and grip management could make all the difference.
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