The paddock in Formula 1 is being drenched by a torrential downpour.
Max Verstappen emerged victorious at the end of a thrilling rain-affected Canadian Grand Prix, his sixth win of the season.
With the picture at the front constantly evolving, just like the weather, it was Verstappen who won the race to the chequered flag, as Lando Norris and George Russell completed the podium.
Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix thriller
The Canadian Grand Prix began with a drenching downpour, causing a slippery start. Russell, who had secured pole position, cautiously led the pack at a slower pace. Unfortunately, Daniel Ricciardo received a penalty of five seconds due to a false start.
As the rain intensified, the Haas drivers took a risk by opting for full wet tires while the rest went for intermediates. This gamble proved to be successful as Kevin Magnussen quickly climbed up to the top six by the second lap. Nico Hulkenberg followed suit, mirroring Magnussen’s rise.
On Lap 8, Magnussen swiftly switched to intermediate tires as the rain slowed down and the sun made its way out of the clouds. Following suit, Hulkenberg abandoned his full wet tires on Lap 13.
At the front, drivers cautiously aimed to preserve their intermediate tires on a track that was drying out, knowing that another rain shower was predicted. Verstappen, who had been relentlessly chasing Russell, found himself facing mounting pressure from Lando Norris after making a mistake and running onto the grass at the first chicane. Norris successfully overtook Verstappen at the final chicane on Lap 20.
Verstappen replicated the move on Russell a lap later, allowing him to secure the lead in the Canadian Grand Prix. Simultaneously, Russell was forced to cut the chicane as Verstappen swiftly overtook him.
As the rain was about to arrive, the tension escalated when Logan Sargeant spun out of Turn 4, resulting in a Safety Car. Verstappen and Russell seized the opportunity to make a pit stop for new intermediate tires, while Norris decided to stay out. However, Norris eventually made his pit stop a lap later and rejoined the race in third position. Meanwhile, Verstappen took the lead. Despite facing a power unit problem, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took a bold risk by opting for slick tires.
Verstappen accelerated vigorously after the chicane on the race restart to maintain his top position. Russell and Norris closely followed behind, while Leclerc quickly abandoned his strategy and eventually withdrew from the race.
The rain shower quickly passed and the track dried up fast. Norris decided to make a pit stop and switch to slick tires, hoping to gain an advantage. As he re-entered the track, he found himself side by side with Verstappen, who managed to regain his lead due to having warmer tires. Russell didn’t take long to catch up and took over Norris’s third position, but a mistake from Russell at the chicane allowed Norris to regain his position once again.
After the rain had its share of amusement for the day, Verstappen swiftly raced to claim a well-deserved triumph at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Canadian Grand Prix timings
1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing 1:45:47.927 70 laps
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 HULKENBERG Haas F1 Team +30.824
12 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas F1 Team +31.253
13 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber +40.487
14 Yuki TSUNODA RB +52.694
15 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +1 lap
DNF
Carlos SAINZ Ferrari
Alexander ALBON Williams
Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing
Charles LECLERC Ferrari
Logan SARGEANT Williams
Drivers’ Championship standings after 2024 Canadian Grand Prix
1. Max Verstappen – 194 points
2. Charles Leclerc – 138
3. Lando Norris – 131
4. Carlos Sainz – 108
5. Sergio Perez – 107
6. Oscar Piastri – 81
7. George Russell – 69
8. Lewis Hamilton – 55
9. Fernando Alonso – 41
10. Yuki Tsunoda – 19
11. Lance Stroll – 17
12. Daniel Ricciardo – 9
13. Oliver Bearman – 6
14. Nico Hulkenberg – 6
15. Pierre Gasly – 3
16. Alex Albon – 2
17. Esteban Ocon – 2
18. Kevin Magnussen – 1
19. Zhou Guanyu – 0
20. Valtteri Bottas – 0
21. Logan Sargeant – 0
Constructors’ Championship standings
1. Red Bull – 301 points
2. Ferrari – 252
3. McLaren – 212
4. Mercedes – 124
5. Aston Martin – 58
6. RB – 28
7. Haas – 7
8. Alpine – 5
9. Williams – 2
10. Sauber – 0
Read next – Canadian GP: Max Verstappen triumphs in instant wet-dry classic in Montréal
