Canadian GP: McLaren F1's Fernando Alonso felt he looked 'amateur'
Fernando Alonso believes he was made to look like "an amateur driver" during a Canadian Grand Prix weekend to forget for the McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team
Alonso appeared to let his frustration get the better of him when told over the radio after just 24 laps to save fuel, responding by saying: "I don't want! I don't want!"
The double world champion added: "Already I have big problems now. Driving with this, looking like an amateur. So I race and then I concentrate on fuel."
Alonso's woe was later compounded when he retired for the third consecutive race, the first time that has happened since his debut season with Minardi in 2001, with an exhaust problem.
Explaining his apparent rant, Alonso insisted there was "no frustration" adding: "It was just a disagreement on when to save fuel.
"Different parts of a race require different techniques of driving, so when you are in the middle of a battle, fuel is a low priority in that moment.
"You will have time later to focus on fuel. Let me race and then I'll save fuel later."
Given the lack of pace of the MP4-30 on a power-dependent circuit, there were occasions when Alonso could only defend for a short period before being passed, resulting in his "amateur" jibe.
"You are fighting and then you get to a group of cars where some people catch you and they are faster than you," he said.
"You look like an amateur driver and that's not good.
"We know we are not super-competitive, that we need to improve reliability.
"There are many things to do in our case. The weekend has provided us with some lessons to improve things. It was not easy here in Canada."
It was a weekend described by team-mate Jenson Button as "painful" given the catalogue of woe incurred by the Briton over the two days.
An ERS-related failure towards the end of final practice resulted in an engine change and the 2009 world champion sitting out qualifying for the second time in four races.
Starting from the back of the grid, Button was then handed a drivethrough penalty as Honda had to also change for the fifth time this year the MGU-H and turbocharger.
"It was a difficult day made worse by starting last," said Button, who ultimately retired with an exhaust issue unrelated to Alonso's.
"You get put out of sequence when the leaders keep lapping you, but the main problem was with fuel saving.
"Maybe some of it is efficiency, but it's something that is needing to be solved for the next one.
"But it was quite painful out there. It's fair to say it's been a bad season except Monaco."
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