Two weeks after the sleep-inducing procession through the narrow streets of Monaco, the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday evening was one for the books. Thanks to the changing weather conditions, the race was a spectacle from the first to the last lap, with Max Verstappen emerging as the deserving winner. Lando Norris and George Russell followed, finishing second and third respectively.
For Verstappen, this marks his sixth victory of the season, strengthening his lead in the drivers’ championship. In the constructors’ championship, Red Bull extends its lead over closest rival Ferrari, which saw both its drivers (Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz) retire. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez also failed to finish the race due to a crash.
The race had an extremely attractive opening phase, aided by the weather conditions. As the lights went out, George Russell maintained his leading position on the wet track from pole, partly because Max Verstappen on P2 suffered from wheelspin in the first few meters.
Haas Steals the Show in Opening Phase
All the drivers opted for intermediates, except for Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg. On the wet asphalt, the two excelled on their rain tires. After three laps, Magnussen was already in P4, an improvement of ten places, and Hülkenberg in P8. After eight laps, the advantage of the wets on the drying track disappeared, ending the fun for the Haas duo.
Meanwhile, Verstappen was closing in on leader Russell, but he did so knowing that more rain was on the way. Behind the three-time world champion from Red Bull, the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were charging. When Verstappen braked too late, Norris was right behind him and managed to overtake him shortly after. A lap later, Russell also had to give way (he braked too late while defending and thus also lost P2 to Verstappen) and Norris took the lead in lap 21, visibly pulling away.
Logan Sargeant Makes Another Mistake
Then comes the inevitable blunder from Logan Sargeant. The Williams driver hits the wet part of the track with his tires and immediately slides into the wall. The race management sends out the safety car, but it’s just too late for Norris, who had built up a lead of over 11 seconds on Verstappen. Everyone can dive in, except for the race leader who is just past the pit lane entrance. This costs him his leading position. When Norris swaps his tires a lap after the rest of the field, he returns to the race in third place, behind Verstappen and Russell respectively.
At the restart, nothing unusual happens. However, it starts raining almost immediately. It’s a brief shower, but it challenges the teams and drivers to make the right choices in terms of tire selection and tire management.
Under a threatening cloud cover, after 44 of the 70 laps, the pit lane suddenly becomes busy, with teams daring to opt for slicks. Of the top five, Lewis Hamilton is the first to bite the bullet on new mediums, followed by Oscar Piastri. Verstappen and Russell follow in the next round. Only Norris opts for two extra laps on the intermediates and tries an overcut.
Norris’ Overcut Almost Succeeds
The plan almost works. Norris does indeed get on the track ahead of Verstappen, but he lacks grip on the wet part at the exit of the pit lane, so he opts for caution. As a result, Verstappen retains the lead in the race, followed by Norris, Russell, Piastri, and Hamilton respectively.
At the front of the field, the odds change about every lap. Verstappen is leading, but complains over the radio about his car, while Norris, Russell, and Piastri are battling each other behind him.
After lap 54, everything suddenly changes again. With everyone on slicks while the track is still wet, several drivers slide off one after the other. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez makes a mistake in the rear and slides into the wall. Alexander Albon is eliminated as a result of a spin by Carlos Sainz in front of him. It also means the end of the race for Sainz. A second safety car situation is the result. At that time, his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who won his home race in Monaco two weeks ago, is already watching the exciting race from the garage, after various problems with his car.
With eleven laps to go, the race resumes, with Verstappen still leading. He is fortunate that the McLarens and Mercedes are battling each other behind him. As a result, he remains unthreatened in the final laps and can spray the champagne in Canada for the third year in a row.
The next race is the Spanish Grand Prix on June 23.
