Max Verstappen led from start to finish and won the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday, securing the 100th victory in Red Bull history in the premier series of motorsport.
Verstappen, who started from the lead position, finished ahead of Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
The Dutchman thus successfully defended his title acquired last year at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, and at the same time savored his 41st career victory in F1.
Moreover, it was Alonso’s sixth podium in eight races this season, and Hamilton’s second in a row.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. completed the top-5, in order, ahead of fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.
For his part, Quebecer Lance Stroll finished ninth at the wheel of his Aston Martin car.
Meanwhile, racing fans who had hoped to see Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg cause an upset after posting the second-fastest time in qualifying were quickly disillusioned.
After picking up a three-place grid penalty for failing to comply with a red flag the day before, the German had some bad luck in his pit stop strategy and soon found himself in grid background. Hulkenberg finally settled for 15th place.
Mercedes driver George Russell, fourth at the start, was forced to retire, as was Logan Sargeant, at Williams.
In the drivers’ championship, Verstappen has therefore widened the gap in the lead with now 195 points, ahead of Perez (126) and Alonso (117). Stroll remained eighth at 37.
Red Bull also consolidated its hold on the top spot in the constructors’ championship with 321 points. The Mercedes team is still second with 167, followed by Aston Martin at 154. Ferrari follows at 122.
The Canadian Grand Prix was the eighth round of the F1 season. The Montreal event took place under cloudy skies, without rain, and the ambient temperature reached 19 degrees Celsius in the afternoon.
A two-way fight, behind Verstappen
Verstappen was the favorite to win heading into the weekend, and he made sure to remind everyone as soon as the race started on Sunday.
The reigning double world champion got off to a flying start and stayed out of trouble, while at the back Alonso was surprised in the first corner by Hamilton.
The 41-year-old Spaniard, an experienced driver, however, was not going to let go so easily.
Alonso clung to the back of the seven-time world champion’s car for several laps, before finally surprising him on the long straight towards the finish line on lap 22.
Then, from the 40th lap, the strategy of each of the leading teams came into play. While Red Bull and Mercedes offered medium compounds to Verstappen and Hamilton respectively, Aston Martin shod Alonso’s car with hard tires – less performing than mediums, but more durable.
Verstappen, far ahead, was never concerned, while Hamilton finally ran out of time to catch Alonso and take second place from him.
Behind, Ferrari indicated to Leclerc that Sainz was not going to “attack” him, so as to ensure that Perez remained stuck behind them. A plan that worked perfectly for the ‘Scuderia’, which is doing quite well despite a rocky weekend.