As the Aston Martin squad assembled for their post-Canada GP celebrations, they had a surprise canine friend get in on the action, which even had a signature pose!
The Canadian Grand Prix was a pivotal weekend for the Aston Martin team and their chances of sustaining a push to claim that 'best of the rest' P2 spot in the Constructors' Championship.
Last season an ambitious midfield outfit, that ambition has helped Aston Martin surge forward in F1 2023, starting out as the second-fastest team behind the dominant Red Bull squad, but as the development war kicks into gear, Mercedes are bringing the challenge and asking Aston Martin whether they are truly ready to hang in this battle towards the front.
The trip to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve suggested they are, Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso bouncing back from a tricky outing in Spain to claim a P2 finish in Montreal, Alonso only nine-and-a-half seconds behind Max Verstappen at the chequered flag, a marked reduction to his usual margin of victory, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton completing the podium.
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There was plenty of reason for Aston Martin to celebrate then in the customary post-race pictures, and one of the police sniffer dogs in the paddock even got involved at the direction of its handler.
The talented canine broke out its party trick for the camera, this surely one of the biggest feel-good moments of the entire race weekend.
With Lance Stroll recovering to a points-scoring P9 finish at his home race, while Mercedes scored only via Hamilton's P3 as George Russell retired following an earlier crash, it allowed Aston Martin to turn an 18-point deficit to their engine supplier to 13 heading into the Austrian Grand Prix.
Next up is a trip to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix, and after that Aston Martin may well be in need of finding another emphatic response with Mercedes preparing a further major upgrade package for the British Grand Prix, very much a home race for Aston Martin since they are based at Silverstone.