Canadian GP - Race

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AWS Canadian GP

Race

June 9, 2024

MONTREAL, Canada -- Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, secured a victory at the thrilling Canadian Grand Prix, finishing 3.8 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris at the finish line.

Throughout the race, leadership shifted multiple times among Verstappen, Norris, and George Russell of Mercedes, with Norris losing his lead to Verstappen following a safety car period on lap 25 out of the 70-lap race.

Once Verstappen took the lead, he navigated several challenges — including a switch from intermediate to slick tyres and a second safety car on lap 53 — to claim his sixth win of the season.

Reflecting on the race, Verstappen 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.

"I love it, that was a lot of fun, those kind of races you need once in a while."

Norris, meanwhile, commented: "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.

He continued: "The first two stints were strong, I had amazing pace, then the safety car had me over, just like it helped me in Miami. It's now had me back over. Honestly, I thought it was a pretty perfect race from my side, just a bit unlucky but it was good fun overall.

"These conditions were so stressful inside the car but very enjoyable at the same time."

Despite struggling with Montreal's bumpy kerbs later in the race, Verstappen maintained his lead over Norris following the second safety car, while Russell, after falling to fifth, recovered to finish third.

With this win, Verstappen extended his lead in the drivers' championship to 56 points over Charles Leclerc, who did not finish the race due to an engine failure and a poorly timed switch to slick tyres in the wet, prompting Ferrari to retire the car.

The pivotal moment for Verstappen occurred when Logan Sargeant spun out at Turn Four on lap 25, triggering a safety car.

Norris had initially overtaken Russell for the lead on lap 22 and was building a solid gap before the safety car period, during which Russell also lost position to Verstappen.

Though it seemed like the safety car would level the playing field, Norris missed the pit lane entry before the caution, forcing him to pit a lap later than his competitors and dropping him to third.

As the track dried after the earlier rain, Russell was the first among the leaders to switch to slick tyres on lap 43.

Verstappen switched his tyres on the following lap and managed to maintain his lead, while Norris waited until lap 47 to change tyres, allowing him to come out just behind Verstappen but ahead of Russell.

Russell managed to overtake Norris on lap 49 and seemed poised to challenge Verstappen until a mistake at Turn Eight on lap 51 caused him to hit the kerbs, allowing Norris to reclaim second place.

The race saw another twist on lap 53 when Carlos Sainz, in the remaining Ferrari, spun at Turn Six and collided with Alex Albon's Williams, causing a second safety car.

Mercedes took advantage of this caution to pit for new tyres, which put Russell back in fourth, behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, while Hamilton, who also pitted, stayed in fifth.

Once racing resumed, Russell tried to overtake Piastri at the final chicane on lap 63 but misjudged the space and had to cut the corner.

This mistake opened the door for Hamilton to pass Piastri for third, and Russell soon followed, successfully overtaking a lap later.

Mercedes allowed their drivers to continue racing each other, and Russell regained his podium spot with a clean pass on Hamilton at the final chicane two laps before the end.

Although Norris and Russell both showed competitive pace that suggested they could win, Verstappen ultimately capitalized on his opportunities and avoided mistakes to claim victory.

The next race on the Formula 1 calendar will be held in two weeks at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.

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Canadian GP 2024 F1 Race Results

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull (1:45:47.927)

2. Lando Norris, McLaren (+3.879)

3. George Russell, Mercedes (+4.317)

4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (+4.915)

5. Oscar Piastri, McLaren (+10.199)

6. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin (+17.510)

7. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin (+23.625)

8. Daniel Ricciardo, RB (+28.672)

9. Pierre Gasly, Alpine (+30.021)

10. Esteban Ocon, Alpine (+30.313)

11. Nico Hülkenberg, Haas (+30.824)

12. Kevin Magnussen, Haas (+31.253)

13. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber (+40.487)

14. Yuki Tsunoda, RB (+52.694)

15. Zhou Guanyu, Sauber (+18 Lap)

Ret. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari (+18 Lap)

Ret. Alexander Albon, Williams (+1 Lap)

Ret. Sergio Pérez, Red Bull (+19 Laps)

Ret. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (+30 Laps)

Ret. Logan Sargeant, Williams (+47 Laps)