The Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday was a frantic race, with mixed conditions and frequent changes in the lead.
Max Verstappen took victory in an absolute thriller of a Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, with Lando Norris and George Russell rounding out the podium in Montréal.
In a Canadian Grand Prix filled with numerous leaders and ever-changing circumstances, the reigning World Champion managed to snatch track position from Norris, the previous frontrunner, during Safety Car conditions. However, Verstappen successfully maintained his first-place position, resulting in a thrilling race that is highly anticipated to be considered as one of the most memorable of the season.
Max Verstappen wins frantic wet/dry Canadian Grand Prix
Although the expected rain stayed away during Saturday’s qualifying session, it undeniably arrived for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Most of the grid opted for intermediate tyres due to the wet start in Montréal, except for the Haas pair who chose full wet tyres. Rain had fallen prior to the race and there was a prediction of a new shower during the early laps.
However, most importantly, the drivers made a flawless start as they gradually pulled away from the starting line. Russell managed to maintain his lead over Verstappen as they approached Turn 1, closely pursued by Norris and Piastri.
Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton leapfrogged Daniel Ricciardo in the opening corners, but the gamble of the full wet tyre paid off in particular for Kevin Magnussen, who flew up nine places on the two laps – getting up from P14 to P6 as he overtook Hamilton himself, before getting past Alonso into the Turn 13/14 chicane on lap 2.
Nico Hulkenberg demonstrated significant improvement by climbing nine positions, securing a spot in the top 10. Haas also excelled in the early strategy battle, successfully adhering to the Formula 1 rule of selecting the appropriate tire for wet weather conditions at the right moment. This decision proved to be highly accurate.
The weather at the beginning of the race was worse than anticipated, which meant that the Haas duo had to adapt to the existing conditions. Despite this challenge, Magnussen successfully overtook Oscar Piastri and secured fourth place on the road.
However, as the sixth lap approached, the sun suddenly emerged and Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, notified that the 18 intermediate runners would be faster than the extreme wets.
A fierce competition unfolded between Alonso and Hamilton for the sixth position when the Aston Martin driver missed the final chicane, giving Hamilton an opportunity to gain momentum along the pit straight. However, Hamilton made an error and overshot Turns 1 and 2, allowing his ex-teammate to retake the lead once more upon exiting the turns.
Despite Magnussen pitting on lap 8, the Haas crew seemed unprepared for his arrival. Their 8.6-second stop resulted in him rejoining the race in P12. However, this still allowed him to gain two positions from his starting grid slot on Sunday.
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However, after leaving the others behind, Hulkenberg was caught up by the cars behind him due to the changing conditions. Despite staying on full wet tires, Ricciardo managed to overtake him and secure seventh place. It is worth mentioning that Ricciardo was being investigated for a false start and was later penalized with a five-second time penalty.
Verstappen made significant gains towards Russell at the front, as a dry racing line appeared on the track. However, there was still a looming possibility of rain, as the teams anticipated another downpour later in the race.
Verstappen encountered understeer while pursuing Russell, causing him to lose time at Turn 2. He ran over the kerb, resulting in a small piece of bodywork detaching from his Red Bull. Meanwhile, Norris capitalized on the opportunity, closing in on Verstappen for second place. This maneuver also provided the Mercedes driver with much-needed space to breathe.
By lap 18, with DRS activated, Norris relentlessly pressured Verstappen for two laps. Seizing an opportunity at the Turn 10 hairpin, he utilized the rear wing to his advantage and successfully overtook the reigning World Champion at the Turn 13/14 chicane. This maneuver elevated Norris to P2 and he now set his sights on chasing down Russell for the race lead.
Norris wasted no time and quickly caught up to Russell, executing the same maneuver at the chicane to overtake him and claim the lead. However, Russell made a mistake by braking too late and had to take the escape road, allowing Verstappen to pass him. In just one corner, Russell lost two positions.
After Norris made his escape, Piastri’s sister McLaren joined the battle just as the Safety Car was deployed due to the first retirement of the race. Logan Sargeant spun out and crashed into the barrier at Turn 6, with his Williams car hitting the wall backwards after hitting the kerb.
As a result, the pit lane witnessed a sudden surge of activity, as Norris found himself unable to halt his car in time before the three drivers in the pursuing group. Therefore, they seized the chance to make their pit stops ahead of him.
On the next lap, Norris made a pit stop which caused him to fall to third place. As a result, Verstappen moved up to first place and Russell climbed back to second. Meanwhile, during a swift stop at Mercedes, Hamilton overtook Alonso in the pit lane and secured fifth place. This happened when the race was still below the halfway mark, causing the field to bunch up once more.
Although it may have appeared as unfortunate for Norris to lose two places in the pit lane, Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, perceived it as a fair outcome to offset a previous incident in a few races ago. Lambiase conveyed this sentiment to Verstappen through the team radio, stating, “What goes around comes around, that’s Miami back.”
In anticipation of another downpour, Ferrari took a risk by equipping Charles Leclerc with slick tires, a decision made at Leclerc’s insistence. This move aimed to try something unconventional, considering their ongoing power unit problem throughout the race.
Verstappen took the lead from Russell as the race resumed on lap 30 out of 70, setting the stage for an exhilarating Canadian Grand Prix with the two McLaren drivers in pursuit.
At that time, the rain came again, DRS quickly disabled as the track surface got wetter once again and Leclerc in his Ferrari crept around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before he had to later retire.
It is worth mentioning the remarkable double overtake executed by Alex Albon. Firstly, he skillfully passed Daniel Ricciardo on the outer side of the back straight. Then, he swiftly maneuvered to the inside and overtook Esteban Ocon under braking at the Turn 13/14 chicane, propelling his Williams into the points-paying positions.
As the drivers swiftly dried the track, the race found its rhythm. By the completion of lap 43, Hamilton took the initiative among the frontrunners and decided to test a set of slick tyres. He opted for a pair of medium tyres to observe their performance.
Piastri, who was leading the pack with Hamilton trailing closely behind, responded swiftly and managed to maintain his position ahead of the seven-time World Champion. However, Russell and Verstappen made their move on lap 45, while Norris opted to stay on the track, hoping to secure a better position if possible. Interestingly, Norris was simultaneously under investigation for potentially gaining an unfair advantage by veering off the track and cutting through Turn 1.
Despite Norris’s relentless effort to complete two more laps, his track position advantage over Verstappen on pit exit was not enough to secure the lead. The dangerous wet line on the way to Turn 2 allowed Verstappen to regain his position at the front.
The McLaren driver started his pursuit of the reigning World Champion to secure the victory, having to bridge a nearly five-second gap. However, on lap 49, Russell swiftly overtook and reclaimed the second position, creating a tight chasing pack alongside Norris and Piastri.
However, only a lap later, Russell accidentally hit the kerb at Turn 8, allowing Norris to regain the lead. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff quickly contacted Russell on the radio, urging him to “concentrate”.
Immediately following the incident, Sergio Perez was spotted making his way back to the pit lane in a crawling manner. The rear wing of his Red Bull was found to be loose after he had lost control of his car and spun into the barriers at Turn 5.
At the same corner, Carlos Sainz experienced a spin which coincided with him colliding with Albon. Consequently, both cars were forced out of the race simultaneously, prompting the reappearance of the Safety Car once more.
Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Russell, and Hamilton formed the running order upon the restart on lap 59 of 70, with both Mercedes drivers opting to pit again.
As the race approached its thrilling conclusion, Verstappen swiftly surged ahead of the two McLarens, leaving them behind in his dust. Meanwhile, the two Mercedes drivers, equipped with fresh tires, trailed closely behind him, making for an unforgettable spectacle.
Consequently, Russell closed in on Piastri in pursuit of the last spot on the podium. Despite successfully fending him off for a lap, Russell eventually fell behind Norris, losing the advantage of being within the DRS range. This gave Russell an opportunity to make a move into Turn 13.
Russell had the majority of his car in front, but not entirely, as Piastri maintained his position on the corner. Unfortunately, their vehicles collided, causing Russell to divert onto the escape road. Consequently, Russell fell behind his teammate Hamilton, who advanced to fourth place, while Russell dropped to fifth.
In the next lap, Hamilton successfully overtook Piastri into Turn 13, securing his position ahead of the McLaren driver before reaching the braking zone. This advancement propelled him into the top three, presenting an opportunity for his team to achieve their first podium finish of the season.
Russell finally succeeded on his third attempt, pushing the Australian driver down to fifth place at Turn 13. Meanwhile, at Turn 9, Yuki Tsunoda unintentionally turned his RB into a makeshift lawnmower by veering onto the grass. In his efforts to maneuver past the barrier, he hastily reentered the track and narrowly avoided a collision with his fellow competitors.
Russell received a gentle reminder to maintain sportsmanship, but he swiftly capitalized on the opportunity and skillfully overtook his team-mate by maneuvering inside at Turn 13, securing third place from Hamilton.
Verstappen skillfully secured victory at the front, leading his Red Bull to first place ahead of Norris in an exhilarating race. Russell and Hamilton claimed third and fourth positions respectively. However, Russell’s incident involving Piastri will undergo investigation post-race.
No matter how you view it, the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix will leave a lasting impression.
Canadian Grand Prix 2024: Race classification
1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull 1:45:47.927 70 laps 2 stops
2 Lando NORRIS McLaren +3.879 2 stops
3 George RUSSELL Mercedes +4.317 3 stops
4 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +4.915 3 stops
5 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +10.199 2 stops
6 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +17.510 2 stops
7 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +23.625 2 stops
8 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +28.672 2 stops
9 Pierre GASLY Alpine +30.021 2 stops
10 Esteban OCON Alpine +30.313 1 stop
11 Nico HULKENBERG Haas +30.824 3 stops
12 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas +31.253 4 stops
13 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber +40.487 1 stop
14 Yuki TSUNODA RB +52.694 1 stop
15 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +1 lap 3 stops
Did not finish
Alex Albon, contact
Carlos Sainz, spin and contact
Charles Leclerc, power unit issue
Sergio Perez, crash damage
Logan Sargeant, crash
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