Ferrari defend one-stop strategy in Montreal

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali has defended Ferrari's Canadian Grand Prix strategy despite conceding four places during the latter stages of the race.

The Italian team elected to gamble on a one pit-stop strategy on Sunday in a bid to beat McLaren driver and eventual race-winner Lewis Hamilton to victory in Montreal.

Fernando Alonso was fighting Hamilton and defending drivers' champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull for the lead throughout the race at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, and moved to the front of the field when Hamilton pitted for fresh tyres.

The Maranello-based outfit decided to gamble by not mirroring the Englishman's move, hoping that Alonso's tyres would sustain their grip to the end of the race.

However, the 30-year-old's tyres wore away quicker than expected and he could do nothing to stop Hamilton, Lotus driver Romain Grosjean of France, Mexican Sergio Perez of Sauber and the late-stopping Vettel passing him before the chequered flag as he eventually finished the race in fifth place.

Domenicali acknowledged that the gamble had not paid off but insisted his team had made the right call at the time.

"Of course with hindsight it is easy" he said, "my kids who are seven and eight years old could do the right thing.

"Honestly when we did the first pit stop, we did the right choice because we jumped one position, but it was not clear at that moment if it would have been one or two stops - because otherwise we would have kept Fernando longer on the track.

"Then, considering the pace and considering the way that Fernando was managing the tyres, we discussed with Fernando and apparently the tyres were keeping up a pace that was good in terms of having a one-stop strategy.

"Then, when you arrive at a certain moment, you have to go for one solution or another one, so at that stage the situation - the elements that we had - were okay so we kept going in that direction.

"After that, I cannot say anything more than with hindsight of course it was the wrong thing to do."

Double-champion Alonso was also adamant that Ferrari's strategy was the right call.

"I don't agree that it was the wrong strategy. Grosjean nearly won the race with one stop, so one stop was the right strategy," he explained.

"We tried to win the race not stopping behind Hamilton and we went for it and it didn't work, but I was happy with the approach and the points."