Fernando Alonso has once again hit out at the predictable nature of Formula One ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard has consistently expressed his frustration with the substantial gap in performance between F1's leading three teams -- Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, and the rest of the field. His frustrations are backed up by the fact that since the start of 2017, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez are the only two drivers, outside of the top three teams, to have finished on the podium.
Alonso believes F1's current situation means "magic nights" comparable to scoring the winner in a World Cup final or scoring 80 points in basketball are not possible.
"There are 21 races, and we all know in this table what is going to happen in the next 14 races,'' Alonso said when asked if he's getting bored of F1 ahead of his debut in the Le Mans 24 Hours next weekend. "This is very sad for the sport. So it's nothing against Formula One, it's nothing that I get tired or not. It's just, I know that I will come here and I will fight from seventh to 12th. I will finish the season in Abu Dhabi fighting from seventh to 12th. It doesn't matter your speed on that day, it doesn't matter your luck in qualifying, it doesn't matter how you set up the car or how things go into your way or against your way in that weekend.
"You can improve a couple of positions, you can finish fifth, you can get a podium like Force India in Baku, or something like that, but it doesn't change the overall outcome of the championship. That's probably unique in this series in motorsport and at the same time in sport in general, you can play basketball and one night you have a magic night, you score 80 points, and maybe you win the game together with your teammates or in soccer or with the World Cup. There are a couple of favourites, but no one can guarantee that Germany, Brazil, Spain will win the cup. Maybe, but maybe not. While here, everyone can guarantee that Mercedes, or Ferrari, will win the race.''
Alonso cited his latter years with Renault in 2008 and 2009 as another example to highlight modern F1's predictable nature. During these years he was able to top Friday practice sessions despite not having a front-running car -- something which he believes is not possible in 2018.
"Probably it will never change,'' Alonso replied when asked whether it is likely F1 will become less predictable before its major regulation changes in 2021. "This has been Formula One for many years. But yeah I feel in 2008, 2009, I remember with the ING Renault, that we were not very competitive but we still doing some practice or qualifying runs on Fridays or something because we wanted to test the tyres, something like that, and being P1 in some Fridays. It was nothing, but it was some gift for the mechanics, for the motivations, for the sponsors. Now we can do whatever tomorrow but we will not be P1 because the differences are huge.''