Alonso’s defiant one-word warning to Perez in F1 championship battle 

After beating Lewis Hamilton in a battle for second place behind Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix, Alonso has closed to within nine points of second-placed Perez in the drivers’ standings. 

While Verstappen may already be out of reach given he has won six of the eight races so far this year to sit 78 points clear of Alonso, the Aston Martin driver has second place firmly in his sights. 

When asked if he thinks he can beat Perez this season, Alonso confidently replied: “Yes.”

Two-time world champion Alonso claimed his second P2 finish of the year in Montreal, marking his sixth podium appearance in eight rounds. 

In contrast, Perez’s form has nosedived, with the Mexican enduring difficult weekends in Monaco, Spain and Canada. 

While Red Bull teammate Verstappen has stormed to victory in the last four races, Perez has failed to make the podium in three of them. 

Perez's poor run has left his position in the championship vulnerable to the relentless Alonso.