Fernando Alonso admits he is𓆉 concerned McLaren’s current straightꦏ-line speed deficit in Formula 1 will result in a difficult weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix. 

A gearbox🎃 failure prevented Alonso from taking advantage of Mo🌜naco’s tight and twisty streets, ending his points-scoring streak of five races, while teammate Stoffel Vandoorne also missed out on points.

Alonso was able to haul his McLaren into Q3 for the second race in a row in Monte Carlo butꦯ believe🌠s the Woking-based squad’s clear weakness so far in 2018 will act as a “penalty” around the long and fast straights at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“We’ve been in Q3 in𓃲 Barcelona, Q3 [in Monaco🎉] - It would be nice to keep that trend in the next coming races and confirm our progress,” Alonso said. 

“But I think Canada is going to be challenging. It’s a tough circuit with long straights. Our lack of speed is maybe a pena♈lty there. It will be a good test for us.”

McLaren is set to be boosted by the introduction of a power unit upgrade from engine supplier Renault in Montreal, though the team is six points adrift of the Renault works squad in the battle over fourth p🐎lace in the constructors’, while it has lagged behind Red Bull so far this year.

Despite pre-season hopes of being able to threaten the lꦦikes of Red Bull, Vandoorne insists McLaren is heading in the right direction 🌺to address the deficit to its rivals.

“We have a clear direction f🔜or our team in terms of where the car needs to improve,” he explained. “I think the past couple of weeks, we’ve made 🌺a small step forward. 

“I think there’s a😼 big push now in the f🀅actory to make even bigger gains over the next few weeks.”