Despite the opening lap overtake, Lewis Hamilton helpless against ‘much faster’ Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin

Lewis Hamilton, driving for Mercedes, finished third in the race behind Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso. Hamilton secured his third podium finish of the season. However, his battle with Alonso proved to be a challenging one.

Right from the get-go, Hamilton engaged in an entertaining duel with Alonso, managing to overtake the Aston Martin driver on the opening lap.

It seemed like Hamilton had gained the upper hand, just as he had wished for following the qualifying race. But as the race progressed, it became apparent that Fernando Alonso's car was exceptionally fast, significantly outpacing Hamilton's Mercedes.

In the post-race interview, Hamilton expressed his frustration, acknowledging the Spaniard's impressive speed. He admitted:

"He was going to pass me one way or another, pace-wise he was so much faster."

Hamilton admitted that he was unable to put up a substantial fight against Alonso's relentless speed. The difference in pace between the two cars became apparent, leaving Hamilton with limited options to defend his position. He mentioned:

"I was able to get [Alonso] at the start, but I didn't put up much of a fight at the end. I think at the time probably close to half a second faster than me."

Despite the disappointment of being unable to hold off Alonso's charge, Hamilton would be content to take home another podium finish for the struggling Mercedes team this season.

Lewis Hamilton impressed with cars of Alonso and Verstappen

The seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was clearly in admiration for the cars of Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen.

Hamilton's respect for his fellow competitors was evident as he acknowledged the superior performance of both Alonso's Aston Martin and Max Verstappen's Red Bull during the post-race interview and in the post-race cooldown room.

Following his third-place finish in the Canadian GP, Hamilton acknowledged both cars of both Alonso and Verstappen had been faster than his own Mercedes on that particular day. He expressed his deep appreciation for the speed and capabilities of the Red Bull and Aston Martin vehicles.

The admiration for Alonso's car became even more apparent in the post-race cooldown room. Hamilton engaged in a conversation with the Spaniard, where he showered him with praise.

The admiration and camaraderie between the two drivers were evident in the informal exchange.

Despite missing out on a second-place finish in Montreal, Lewis Hamilton had a great outing on the grid. With 102 points, the 38-year-old has closed the gap between himself and both the third-placed Alonso and the second-placed Sergio Perez of Red Bull.