Fernando Alonso retires from Canadian GP, his 300th F1 race

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MONTREAL (AP) Fernando Alonso's 300th Formula One race ended early because of an exhaust failure.

The two-time world champion retired to the garage after 43 laps of the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. It was the eighth time he failed to finish at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Last year, Alonso was headed for a Top 10 finish before running into engine problems in the 66th lap. He parked his car alongside the track and climbed into the stands to watch the end of the race - to the thrill of the Montreal fans.

This weekend was supposed to be a celebration of the 300th race of the Spaniard's career. That's fourth most for any driver. By the end of this year, he would pass Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button and trail only Rubens Barrichello's 326 total Grand Prix entries.

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