Formula One - Canadian Grand Prix - Title rival teammates clash as Mercedes soar again in Canada

A mixed qualifying result set the scene for a dramatic race with all cars running a two-stop strategy, but late-race drama out of the podium positions could be crucial in deciding the championship.

QUALIFYING

Qualifying one got off to a tame start, at the midway point it was Verstappen who led the way, ahead of Piastri, Hamilton, Russell and Leclerc. With seven minutes left on the clock Alonso went to the top of the times by less than four-hundredths of a second, we also received news of a ten-place grid penalty for Yuki Tsunoda after he had overtaken Oscar Piastri under red flags in practice. With six minutes to go the red flag came out for the first time, the Williams of Alexander Albon had spectacularly blown its engine cover all over the braking zone for the final chicane.

Out in Q1: Bortoleto, Sainz, Stroll, Lawson, Gasly

Photo: James Sutton

At the midway stage of qualifying two it was, yet again, Max Verstappen leading the pack, this time ahead of Norris, Piastri, Hamilton and Leclerc. With just a minute left on the clock the Mercedes of George Russell went fastest on the medium compound tyre, and as the chequered flag flew to end the second qualifying session Alonso pulled himself out of the bottom five and into sixth to make it into the pole shootout.

Out in Q2: Tsunoda, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Ocon

In the early minutes of qualifying three, Verstappen and Piastri were separated by just twenty-five thousandths of a second, with Lando Norris ruining his own first run, meaning everything rested on his second flying run. On the final runs Leclerc suffered from severe oversteer through the turns five and six chicane, blaming the VCARB of Hadjar for the oversteer. At the line for the final time, Piastri improved but it was not enough to stop the charging Max Verstappen. However, against the run of qualifying form, it was George Russell who found his way to pole position, the only driver on track in the one minute and ten second lap times.

Top 10: Russell, Verstappen, Piastri, Antonelli, Hamilton, Alonso, Norris, Leclerc, Hadjar, Albon

Photo: Jared C. Tilton

RACE

On the opening lap of the Canadian Grand Prix, George Russell held his pole position as his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli got ahead of Piastri, Alexander Albon was forced off track by Colapinto and then rejoined horrifically at the turn eight and nine chicane. By lap eleven there had been little action, with most drivers complaining about the medium tyre suffering from higher than expected front degradation and graining.

Also on lap eleven Lando Norris made his first overtake on the race, getting ahead of Alonso for sixth on the road as he tried to claw his way back up to the top spots. Just a lap later Max Verstappen became the first driver to call it quits on the medium tyre, visiting the Red Bull pit box for a new set of hard tyres. A lap later again Russell came into the pitlane, hoping to cover off Max Verstappen's attempted undercut and came back out onto track ahead of Verstappen and, crucially, Hulkenberg, giving himself a car between the two. Also on lap thirteen Lando Norris overtook Charles Leclerc and was shortly afterwards told on his radio that he needs to have one of those ‘amazing races’. 

Photo: Sam Bagnall

On lap fifteen Russell got ahead of Alonso for fifth position, whilst maintaining his one-car gap to Verstappen who also moved ahead of Hulkenberg for seventh. Hamilton also came into the pitlane after being overtaken by Lando Norris for second place. 

On lap twenty-eight, the last of the front runners finally made their first stop, Norris onto a new set of mediums, and Leclerc onto a new set of hards. The next period of the race was again quiet. By the mid-point of the race Russell was leading ahead of a top ten comprising Verstappen, Antonelli, Piastri, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Ocon, Alonso and Sainz.

On lap thirty-seven Verstappen was losing roughly half a second a lap to George Russell, the same laptime delta as Hamilton was suffering to his teammate Leclerc, although it was later revealed that this was caused by floor damage to Hamilton’s Ferrari following an unfortunate incident with one of the native groundhogs. At the end of the lap Verstappen pitted onto new hards.

The next major event was on lap forty-eight when Alexander Albon was forced to retire with an engine failure, he managed to get the car fully behind the barriers in one of the access spots before coming to a stop so there was no need for a virtual or full safety car deployment. Ten laps later, the top five was covered by just five and half seconds, with Verstappen closing in on Russell in the lead and bringing Antonelli, Piastri and Norris with him.

Photo: Sam Bagnall

On lap sixty-six Norris had enough of being stuck behind Piastri, his teammate and title rival, and made an attempted move into the final chicane, he backed out and took a better exit before trying to go to the inside into turn one, this avenue had already been covered by Piastri and Norris ran into the back of him, removing his own front wing and spearing the car into the inside wall and out of the race. Thankfully for McLaren Piastri could carry on without damage and Norris immediately held his hands up on the radio, admitting full fault for the incident. This incident caused the safety car to come out, and would last until the end of the race. 

In the end it was George Russell at the top of the pack when the race came to an end, Verstappen followed in second and Antonelli rounded out a triumphant weekend for Mercedes in third, this marking the first time this season that a McLaren driver has not stood on the podium and the first time since Brazil 2022 that both Mercedes have finished on the podium.

NEXT TIME OUT IN AUSTRIA

The next round of the Formula One World Championship takes us to the home of Red Bull Racing, the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. Verstappen will hope to replicate his pace from the Canadian Grand Prix weekend and finish on the podium again.

In the drivers championship, Oscar Piastri made a twelve point gain on Lando Norris who did not finish in the points, and extended his lead to twenty-two points with 198 points. In the constructors championship there was also change, Mercedes leapfrogged Ferrari for second place in the constructors after their double podium, while Red Bull continued to fall off, now twenty points adrift from the top three in the constructors championship. Clearly, Verstappen’s podium was not enough to make up for the lack of points scored by Yuki Tsunoda.