Behind Max Verstappen the rain soaked final Canadian GP qualifying results were very interesting.
Niko Hulkenberg qualified in second place in front of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. Unfortunately Niko was penalized for a red-flag infringement during qualifying. This put him back three places to 5th place.
The Canadian GP qualification period showed two F1 developments.
- Mercedes is back in the game – although still a long way behind Max Verstappen
- Ferrari is still struggling
- McLaren’s new upgrades have made a difference and they are moving up the pack.
| Position | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 01:20.9 | 01:19.1 | 01:25.9 | 26 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 01:21.5 | 01:19.8 | 01:27.3 | 25 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 01:21.6 | 01:20.4 | 01:27.6 | 26 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 01:21.8 | 01:20.1 | 01:27.9 | 25 |
| 5 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas (Qualified 2nd but penalized to 5th) | 01:22.7 | 01:20.3 | 01:27.1 | 25 |
| 6 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 01:22.1 | 01:20.4 | 01:27.9 | 25 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | Mclaren | 01:22.0 | 01:19.3 | 01:28.0 | 26 |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 01:22.2 | 01:19.9 | 01:29.3 | 26 |
| 9 | Oscar Piastri | Mclaren | 01:22.2 | 01:19.7 | 01:31.3 | 24 |
| 10 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 01:21.9 | 01:18.7 | DNF | 24 |
| 11 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 01:21.8 | 01:20.6 | 22 | |
| 12 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racin | 01:22.2 | 01:21.0 | 23 | |
| 13 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 01:22.7 | 01:21.5 | 20 | |
| 14 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 01:22.4 | 01:21.7 | 21 | |
| 15 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 01:22.3 | 01:21.8 | 24 | |
| 16 | Yuki Tsunoda | Alphatauri | 01:22.7 | 11 | ||
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 01:22.9 | 11 | ||
| 18 | Nyck De Vries | Alphatauri | 01:23.1 | 12 | ||
| 19 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 01:23.3 | 14 | ||
| 20 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 01:23.3 | 11 |
The Main Canadian GP F1 Race
Once again dominant display was provided by Max Verstappen who led from the start to finish line of the race. He was so secure in his position that he was making humorous comments to his team over the radio.
The victory was especially sweet for Max has his number of F1 wins draws alongside the legendary Ayrton Senna.
| Grid Position | Driver | Team | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 70 | 33:58.3 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 70 | +9.570s |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | MERCEDES | 70 | +14.168s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | FERRARI | 70 | +18.648s |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | FERRARI | 70 | +21.540s |
| 6 | Sergio Perez | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 70 | +51.028s |
| 7 | Alexander Albon | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 70 | +60.813s |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | ALPINE RENAULT | 70 | +61.692s |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 70 | +64.402s |
| 10 | Valtteri Bottas | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 70 | +64.432s |
| 11 | Oscar Piastri | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 70 | +65.101s |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | ALPINE RENAULT | 70 | +65.249s |
| 13 | Lando Norris | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 70 | +68.363s |
| 14 | Yuki Tsunoda | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 70 | +73.423s |
| 15 | Nico Hulkenberg | HAAS FERRARI | 69 | +1 lap |
| 16 | Zhou Guanyu | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 69 | +1 lap |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen | HAAS FERRARI | 69 | +1 lap |
| 18 | Nyck De Vries | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 69 | +1 lap |
| NC | George Russell | MERCEDES | 53 | DNF |
| NC | Logan Sargeant | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 6 | DNF |
The Real Fight Was Between Fernando Alonso And Lewis Hamilton
The real fight was happening behind Max behind the two od team mates Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The two traded places several times during the event. Fernando started in P2 but Lewis had a better start and arrived at the first corner in second place.
He held Alonso off for 21 laps. The two drivers pitted together, and after almost colliding in the pit lane, Fernando overtook Lewis on lap 22.
When the three podiums winners (Max, Fernando and Lewis) were in the cooling down room after the race Lewis complained that “We suck in the lower speed corners.”
“We suck in the lower speed corners”
Lewis Hamilton
George Russel Ruined His Own Day At The Canadian GP
George Russel was giving a great driving display in P4, often threatening Fernado Alonso when he was in P3. Unfortunately he put paid to any podium hopes he had at the Turn 8-9 chicane on Lap 12. He hit the wall and blew his right rear tire.
After managing to drive back to the pits on three wheels new tires were put on and he was back in the race – albeit in last position.
He drove well and moved up the ranks until lap 55. The right rear brake duct had been damaged and the brake was overheating. He received the call he was probably dreading – to retire!
Sergio Perez Put Up A Lackluster Performance At The Canadian GP
Sergio Perez is struggling. He had an unfortunate tire choice in qualifying which ended up relegating him to 12th place on the grid. Although he moved up to 6th place it was an uninspiring drive, and made it look like Max and Sergio were driving two different cars!
Ferrari Are Still Struggling At The Canadian GP
The two Ferrari driver (Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz) were two of only five who stayed out while the safety car was deployed.
This gave them track position (4th and 5th) which they held onto until the end of the race. If that had not happened they would have finished further down the order. Thankfully the team made a good call (not always the case) and the two drivers finished well.
Alex Albon (WIlliams) Had A Great At The Canadian GP
With a mixture of great strategy and good driving, Alex Albon finished in a mighty (for Williams) 7th place. The Williams may nit be as good on the corners but straight line speed is definitely up there. He managed to prevent several attempted overtakes by Lando Norris (McLaren).
Esteban Ocon At The Canadian GP
Esteban achieved an 8th place finish – so no beers from Jeremey Clarkson this week.
Lando Norris Had His Points Removed
Talking of Lando Norris, he finished in 9th place, but was pushed back to P13 (behind his team mate Oscar Piastri.) the penalty was applied. He was penalized for “un-sportsman like conduct” after he backed the pack up to clear the way for a McLaren ‘double-stack’ in the pits.
Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly achieved an unexciting 10th place.