CANADIAN GP – Max Verstappen wins a thrilling strategic battle to take third Montreal win by four seconds
Max Verstappen has won an action-packed Canadian Grand Prix beating Lando Norris by nearly four seconds. The Dutchman took advantage of a late safety car following a crash involving teammate Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon as the race moved into the final quarter.
Verstappen had gained the lead following the final round of stops after undercutting the McLaren as he switched to the mediums. When Norris made his stop a few laps later in the race to pit exit the Red Bull driver got ahead of the McLaren, then over the closing twenty laps he couldn’t close the gap and pass.
Norris had twice led the race and then the decision to make that switch a lap later than Verstappen ultimately gave Red Bull the advantage to which the Englishman in the closing stages was unable to get close enough to try and overtake.
The safety car was called just after he had passed the pit entry, allowing everyone else to have a free stop, while he had to make a more costly stop under the safety car thus losing more time and track position.
At that phase of the race, Norris was trying to build a sufficient advantage to come out in the lead, and it was close – he looked to be set to race wheel to wheel with Verstappen as the McLaren exited the pits. But Norris lost grip on the damp area off-line and Verstappen was able not only to retain the lead but finished the lap nearly four seconds ahead.
George Russell, who started on pole led much of the opening part of the race before being passed by Norris through the final chicane on lap twenty-one. In a race which was about strategy and reading the weather conditions correctly, but Mercedes are certainly back in the hunt behind Red Bull on what has been a strong weekend.
Analysis of the weather radar showed the heavier rain which would have likely seen a halt to the race or further safety cars,, just missed the circuit midway through the race.
Verstappen, who takes his third consecutive victory in Montreal, said: “It was a pretty crazy race, a lot of things were happening and we had to keep on top of our calls. As a team we did really well today, we remained calm and we pitted at the right time, the safety car worked out nicely for us but even after that we were managing the gaps quite well.
Norris added, “It was [wild]. It was chaos, it was eventful to be honest, I felt like I drove a good race, the whole time, from start to finish. The first two stints were strong, I had amazing pace, then the safety car had me over, just like it helped me in Miami.”
Russell said “It felt like a missed opportunity, to be honest. We were really quick at the beginning on the inters and then Lando came through really fast and then we jumped back onto the slicks and made a couple of mistakes, pushing the limits and paid the price, but nevertheless it was our first podium of the year.”
Russell’s teammate Lewis Hamilton finished fourth six-tenths behind in a race where strategy was key for all the drivers. The seven-time Montreal winner, getting the best result of his season, but still described it as “one of the worst races I’ve driven”.
Russell had passed Hamilton with three laps to go to take the final podium place but may be ruing a couple of key errors during a race that he started from his first pole position for eighteen months.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve delivered yet another classic, four changes of leads and two crashes which lead to safety cars. As ever the race was again dominated by changeable conditions, that added to the complexity of the fight at the front.
Most started on the inters that gave Russell the edge early on, as the drivers struggled for grip. But the track soon started to come back to the intermediate runners as the rain began to ease and the dry line emerged it allowed Norris and Verstappen to close in, though minor mistakes in the first half of the race allowed Russell to come under pressure.
After Verstappen had dropped slightly back on Russell by outbraking himself at the first chicane, Norris overtook the Red Bull with DRS down the backstraight on lap twenty, a trick he repeated on Russell one lap later. First then quickly became third for Russell, who slipped behind Verstappen too when he went straight on at the final chicane.
But Verstappen returned to winning ways his sixth win from eight Grands Prix means he now has a fifty-six-point lead in the drivers championship at a third of the way through the season. While his closest rival Charles Leclerc retired from the race.
The trigger for the final round of stops was caused by Logan Sargeant crashing his Williams at Turn Five. It was a reversal of the situation which Norris and Verstappen had in Miami, Verstappen pitted for fresh inters gaining the lead while Norris dropped to third behind Russell, who also lost out under the safety car.
Verstappen on the medium and Russell on hards, Norris thought he had the advantage but struggled for grip which gave the Red Bull the opportunity he took to overtake. The gamble looked to be worth it, as even Verstappen had his moments but still, his talents kept him in the race.
Hamilton is continues his wait for his first podium of the season and his first win since December 2021 as a tough final season with Mercedes shows no sign of ending. The seven-time champion six six-tenths behind Russell and ahead of Oscar Piastri by five seconds.
The second McLaren lost a place to Russell as well during the closing stages before dropping five seconds behind Hamilton in the final laps.
Ferrari were the only front running team not to feature in the fight at the front, it was a nightmare weekend despite hopes of building on Leclerc’s win in Monaco.
Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz were both knocked out in Q2 yesterday, neither saw the flag, Leclerc retiring on lap forty-three with a power unit issue plus a poor call to switch to slick tyres and ten laps later Sainz collided with Perez and Albon.
Perez also having a miserable Montreal, after being knocked out in Q1 on Saturday, his race ending with him spinning and damaging his rear wing.
Fernando Alonso was best of the rest behind the three teams fighting for victory, the Aston Martin driver seven and a half seconds behind Piastri and ahead of teammate Lance Stroll. Daniel Ricciardo eighth despite a five-second penalty for a jump start fought back and cap the best weekend of his disappointing season so far in eighth
Both Alpine’s completed the top ten, with Pierre Gasly nearly three tenths faster than Esteban Ocon. Despite flying up the order early on by gambling on the wets at the start, Nico Hulkenberg could only manage eleventh four tenths ahead of Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen.
Yuki Tsunoda spilt the two Sauber’s as he was twelve seconds behind Valtteri Bottas, while Guanyu Zhou was lapped in the closing stages as the final finisher a lap down in fifteenth.
Related
- Canadian GP – Qualifying Result
- CANADIAN GP – George Russell takes pole setting an identical lap time as Max Verstappen
- CANADIAN GP – Lando Norris fastest three-tenths faster than the Ferrari’s in first practice
- Welcome to the Canadian Grand Prix – 2024
- PRIXVIEW – Canadian Grand Prix