The 2023 Canadian Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen take the chequered flag once again this year. Max Verstappen drove a commanding race by starting and staying in 1st place throughout the race.
The weekend started off interesting after a wet and unusual Friday. The first practice session was cut short due to CCTV issues at the circuit. Hence the 2nd practice session was increased by another 30 minutes.
🏁 FINAL CLASSIFICATION (LAP 70/70) 🏁
How we crossed the line in Montreal!#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/rny6wnJjAs
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
However, due to rain, the team was not able to get enough data to analyze the dry tires. This would give the drivers a bit of uncertainty during the race which was dry.
Hamilton, Verstappen, Alonso and Newey…
This podium is F1 heritage 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1XGWNZskb8
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) June 18, 2023
The race saw Max Verstappen followed by Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton sharing the podium. What Red Bull fans even happier was when they saw Adrian Newey up on the podium representing the Red Bull team to receive the Constructor’s trophy.
Max takes pole during a wet Qualifying in Montreal
It had been raining all week in Montreal, so it was no surprise when we were also greeted with a wet qualifying. The Qualifying took place in dynamic conditions as the rain was inconsistent.
Qualifying 1 saw both Alpha Tauri’s exit along with Zhou, Gasly, and Sargeant. Pierre Gasly was disappointed he was not able to get a good lap in as he was blocked by the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. Sainz was given a penalty for this incident.
Pierre Gasly was absolutely furious with Sainz following this incident that saw him knocked out in Q1 🤬
The Spaniard has since been handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding the Alpine driver #CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/dOn4MhkIDM
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 17, 2023
The second session of qualifying was a bit more dramatic. While every car chose to go out in intermediates, Alex Albon decided to go out in slick tires as the track was drying up slowly. Noticing the Williams, other teams decided to switch to slick tires as well. However, there was heavy rain coming, so a few of the top drivers were not able to get a fast lap in time. Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez found themselves outside the top 10 after Q2.
Piastri found the wall in Q3 after being too heavy on the throttle! 💥#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/55VsiYEkEa
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
As it started to rain again in Q3, Max was able to take pole. As the rain was getting heavier, Oscar Piastri put the car into the wall a few minutes into Q3 which brought out the red flag. Luckily, Nico Hulkenberg was able to put in a fast lap just before the red flag was put out which placed him right behind Max Verstappen. However, he did get a 3-place penalty for red flag infringement.
Dramatic opening lap
As the lights went out on Sunday afternoon, Max Verstappen got a clean start as usual to retain the lead. Lewis Hamilton, starting in P3, was able to jump ahead of Fernando Alonso to take P2. While Russell tried to challenge Alonso as well, he would be forced to back out.
LAP 1/70
Perez has not one, not two, but THREE nibbles at Sainz, but he can’t get past – and Magnussen takes avoiding action! 😱#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/uPR2AErRPz
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
Further back on the grid, Sergio Perez was able to overtake Carlos Sainz in the first half of the circuit. However, Carlos Sainz was able to take back the position in the final couple of corners of the opening lap.
George Russell crashes at the Canadian Grand Prix
As the battle for 2nd place was getting heated between both the Mercedes and Alonso, Russell lost control of the car on lap 12/70. Russell was trying to keep the pressure on Fernando Alonso in front of him but would prove to be too much for him. Although he suffered damage on his front wing and rear tires, he was able to continue on to the pits.
SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED (LAP 12/70)
George Russell smacks the wall and smashes his rear-right corner and front wing, and the @MercedesAMG comes out
Amazingly, he heads back out, albeit in last place#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/qvvthjh4PB
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
The accident caused a safety car to come out early in the race. Most of the cars pitted, but the Ferraris and Perez elected to stay out. The Ferraris were the only cars with medium tires that had not yet pitted.
Fernando Alonso goes for it
On lap 22, Fernando Alonso got tired of staying behind his old rival and teammate. He went for an overtake on the inside of Lewis Hamilton while heading to the Wall of Champions. Although Hamilton tried his best to retain the position, Alonso was ahead of Hamilton coming out of the final corner.
LAP 22/70
ALONSO GETS HAMILTON FOR SECOND!
48 laps remaining, and these two are JUST starting to duel… sit back, and enjoy a scrap between two of the greatest to ever do it 🍿#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/pkykizzeMU
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
Alonso would gradually extend the gap to Hamilton over the next few laps. Through lap 35, both the Ferrari cars were still out on track without a tire change. They seemed to be taking a gamble by going for a 1-stop race while others went for a 2-stop.
Drama at the back
On lap 36, Nyck de Vries tries for a overtake on the inside of Kevin Magnussen going into turn 1. But Nyck goes into the corner a bit aggressively and forced Kevin out of the track. The battle would continue on over the next couple of turns until they both miss the right-hander in turn 3.
LAP 36/70
De Vries makes two half-moves down the inside of Magnussen, but they both end in disaster 😬
The first move sees Russell fly past both to take P12
The second? Both drivers run wide, and plummet to P18 and P19#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/XzenSpp3l4
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
Both cars would see themselves in the last 2 places after the incident. The incident brought out a yellow flag but no safety car was deployed.
Ferrari in the pits
After going 38 laps on the medium tires, Carlos Sainz finally come into the pit a lap after Sergio Perez. The next lap, Charles Leclerc pit as well. With more the half the race already completed, both cars looked good for the 1-stop strategy.
LAP 39/70
It’s all action in the pit lane! Leclerc, Sainz and Perez all pit within a few laps of each other, and are now running P4-P5-P6#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/BK3So9sh4G
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
We have seen Ferrari suffer from tire degradation in races earlier this season, but the cars seem more comfortable this Sunday. Unfortunately, the gap to the top 3 was too much for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso came out ahead of both Ferrari cars after pitting for a 2nd time.
George Russell’s fight back to the points comes to an early end
After dropping back to last place after crashing into the wall, George knew he had a tough challenge ahead of him. The team had decided not to pit Russell for a second time as they had nothing to lose. He was able to fight his way till P8.
LAP 55/70
Geooooorge 💔 Running eighth, Russell is told to retire with excessive brake wear#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/PAFzkJeIHK
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
On lap 55, he was on the heels of Alex Albon, when he suffered a mechanical issue caused by the accident he had on lap 12. He was able to drive the cars into the pit to retire so no safety car, VSC, or yellow flags were required.
Lewis Hamilton challenges Fernando Alonso at the Canadian Grand Prix
While one of the Mercedes cars had a bad Sunday, the other car was feeling a bit more hopeful. After losing 2nd place to Fernando Alonso on lap 22, Lewis Hamilton starts to close the gap on his 3rd stint of the race.
Lewis Hamilton with medium tires started to find the pace against Fernando Alonso with the hard tires. By lap 59, Lewis was able to close the gap, which was once 4 seconds to under 2 seconds. Fernando Alonso found himself at a disadvantage after it was reported that he was facing rear brake issues.
The way Fernando Alonso said, “Leave it to me”…. I knew Hamilton’s charge was over.#CanadaGP pic.twitter.com/l6wB3dj6Lk
— Jaja (@JajaBreed) June 18, 2023
However, Fernando Alonso, keeping Lewis Hamilton’s pace in mind, managed his tires and fuel like a pro. Soon after Lewis brought the gap to under 2 seconds, Fernando stepped on it and increased it back to over 3 seconds by the end of the race.
Max on cruise control at the Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen led the entire race from the begging. He was in total control throughout the race. He did not place one foot wrong, except for a small error he made on lap 66. But this did not affect his pacy by much and was able to peacefully take the victory at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen draws level with the legendary Ayrton Senna for race wins in F1 🤝🏆 pic.twitter.com/9lCN1oBzaq
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) June 18, 2023
However, Max was not able to build a very big gap between Alonso and Hamilton behind him. Previously we have seen Max finish over 20 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. This could mean that Mercedes and Aston Martin may be catching up to the Red Bulls.
What we learned for the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2023 Canadian Grand Prix showed that the gap between Red Bull and the rest is getting closer. Although Max Verstappen won the race, he was not able to build a dominant lead like the previous races.
The Ferrari team finally came up with a good strategy which saw them get some good points after a bad qualifying. For every race this season, Ferrari has always had trouble with tire degradation. However, at the Canadian Grand Prix, both the cars managed their tires very well and were able to successfully complete a 1-stop race without any issues.
That’s the end of the #CanadianGP 🇨🇦
A strong effort from the whole team. Great strategy and a very solid pace 👊
Well done guys! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4Lbvl6RyXb
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 18, 2023
Fernando Alonso continues his incredible form in the 2023 season. He has now achieved 6 podiums in 8 races. Although he had a poor performance at his home Grand Prix in Spain, he was able to bounce back this weekend.
The smile says it all! What a performance 😁#CanadianGP #F1 @alex_albon @WilliamsRacing pic.twitter.com/oHRXmvS8uH
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 18, 2023
Another driver worth mentioning is Alexander Albon. Alex Albon was able to finish in 7th place after qualifying 10th on Saturday. He defended his position against many drivers from faster cars. He was also able to complete a 1-stop strategy without any issues.
What next after the Canadian Grand Prix?
After the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen increases his lead in the WDC to 69 points. Red Bull also takes a dominating lead in the WCC by 154 points. The strong weekend for Ferrari saw them close the gap to Aston Martin to 32 points only.
We now head to the Red Bull Ring in Austria for the Austrian Grand Prix. The Grand Prix will take place after a gap of 1 week. The race will be scheduled for 2nd July. Let’s see if Mercedes and Aston Martin will be able to close the gap even more to Red Bull. We could even see another battle between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in Austria.