Last Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix saw a brilliant battle between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, which started on the run into the first corner.
Hamilton got the better launch off the line at the Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve and overtook his former McLaren team-mate for second, demoting Alonso to third.
The duo maintained their position for the entirety of the first stint, where both drivers were on the Medium compound.
Little separated the pair for the opening 13 laps, until the duo darted into the pits for a cheap pit-stop, as a result of a Safety Car having been released because George Russell hit the wall at Turn 9.
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As they exited the pits, Hamilton remained in second with Alonso in third; however, they were both on the Hard compound.
Getting heat into the tyres has been one of Mercedes’ biggest issues this season, with the W14 being much better suited to higher track temperatures.
Due to being on the hardest compound on a relatively cool track, Hamilton struggled to set consistent lap times, with him having often set a quick lap followed by a slower one.
Alonso on the other hand, was able to lap much more consistently, something which saw him get within one-second of the seven-time World Champion.
He eventually overtook Hamilton with the use of DRS on Lap 22, before building a gap of a few seconds to the Briton.
The fight for second was by no means over though, as Hamilton returned to the Medium compound for the third stint of the race.
Aston Martin opted to put Alonso on another set of Hards, giving Hamilton a grip advantage.
Hamilton was fitted with the Mediums again after Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz proved that the Medium compounds life was longer than expected, something which played into Hamilton’s favour.
With him being on a grippier, softer compound than Alonso, the 38-year-old started setting rapid laps.
At one point, he was setting fastest laps every lap, thanks to him having fired up the Medium compound.
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Hamilton was able to get the gap to Alonso back down to just over one-second, with the Spaniard having also been forced to lift and coast.
When the gap got dangerously small though, Alonso was granted permission to speed back up, resulting in Hamilton slipping to three seconds behind the Aston Martin driver.
Alonso ultimately won the strategic fight; however, it proved that when Mercedes have their tyres heated up, there is very little to separate the two teams.