Alonso rues poor luck after disastrous Canadian GP

Double world champion Fernando Alonso could barely disguise his bitter disappointment on Sunday after having to retire from the Canadian Grand Prix following a coming together with McLaren's Jenson Button, who went on to win the race.

Alonso, who lined up second on the grid, was highly critical of the decision to start the race behind the safety car, given the wet conditions in Montreal.

"Everything went wrong, right from this morning when we saw it was raining," the Ferrari driver said. "We had our best qualifying of the year and we found ourselves starting behind the safety car."

The race was red-flagged for two hours due to the heavy rain, with Alonso restarting in eighth, again behind the safety car. He then came in to pit, to change to intermediate tires, but didn't even manage a lap on them.

"Finally there was the coming together with Button, which as a final insult left my car beached on a curb and I was unable to get going again," he said.

With seven races run, and 12 left to go, Alonso remains in fifth position in the drivers' championship, on 69 points. Sebastian Vettel, of Red Bull, has now racked up 161 points, meaning that the Spaniard will have to see a miraculous change in fortune if he is in with a chance of catching the young German.

"Luck comes and goes," Alonso said Sunday. "When it comes our way after everything that's happened this year, we'll take the title halfway through the season."