Max Verstappen navigated through challenging weather conditions and leveraged a well-timed safety car to claim victory in the incident-filled Canadian Grand Prix. Despite Lando Norris initially taking the lead under changeable conditions from a third-place start, he was ultimately outpaced due to the safety car’s timing, finishing second.
George Russell, starting from pole after matching Verstappen’s qualifying time, had an eventful race but managed to secure third place, marking Mercedes’ first podium of the season. Heavy rain just before the race led 18 out of 20 drivers to start on intermediate tires, with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg opting for wet tires from lower grid positions.
Race Drama Unfolds with Rain and Penalties
The leaders cautiously navigated turn one, with the top four maintaining their positions as Russell led Verstappen.
Magnussen and Hulkenberg were on a tear, with the Dane overtaking Oscar Piastri for fourth by lap seven, while Hulkenberg climbed nine places to eighth.
However, their momentum stalled as the rain subsided, forcing Magnussen to pit on lap eight.
Monaco winner Charles Leclerc, starting 11th after a poor qualifying session for Ferrari, faced an engine issue costing him half a second per lap.
Daniel Ricciardo, impressively fifth on the grid, received a five-second penalty for a false start. As the sun emerged and the track dried, Verstappen closed in on Russell, lighting up the timing screens.
Verstappen Under Pressure as Norris Takes Lead
Three-time world champion Verstappen faced pressure after running across the kerbs at turn one, allowing the fast-moving Norris to close in.
On lap 20, the McLaren driver used DRS to overtake Verstappen and swiftly passed Russell, who then went off track at the final chicane, letting Verstappen through as well.
Norris built an eight-second lead, which was cut short when Logan Sargeant hit the wall, prompting a safety car. This disadvantaged Norris as Verstappen and Russell pitted ahead of him, dropping Norris to third.
Verstappen’s engineer remarked, “what goes around comes around,” referring to Norris benefiting from a safety car to defeat Verstappen in Miami.
Dramatic Turn of Events at Rain-Soaked Grand Prix
Ferrari put Leclerc on slick tires just as the rain returned and racing restarted. The Monegasque driver crawled back to the pits two laps later, was soon lapped by the leaders, and retired on lap 43.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton opted for slick medium tires from fifth position. Two laps later, Norris was the only car to stay out on intermediate tires as McLaren took a gamble.
The move nearly paid off as Norris rejoined level with leader Verstappen but lost grip at the pit exit, allowing the world champion to stay ahead.
Russell charged past Norris with 20 laps to go, but two laps later they switched positions again as the pole-sitter ran wide.
“Focus George, focus,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff urged on the radio.
Thrilling Conclusion at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The drama unfolded as Sergio Perez slid into the wall, followed by Carlos Sainz spinning into Alex Albon, sending the Williams driver into the wall and bringing out a second safety car with 16 laps to go.
Russell and Hamilton pitted for fresh tires, while the top three stayed out. The safety car ended, setting up an 11-lap dash to the chequered flag.
Russell and Oscar Piastri collided at the final chicane, causing Russell to fall behind teammate Hamilton. However, Russell fought back to overtake Hamilton again, capping off a thrilling race as Verstappen extended his championship lead.
“What a race, guys. Not easy but we did it,” said Verstappen.
Norris commented: “It was chaos, eventful. I felt like I drove a good race. The safety car had me over. It helped me in Miami but now it’s had me over. It happens.”
Russell added: “It felt like a missed opportunity, to be honest. Made a couple of mistakes out there pushing the limits. We will take positives from this weekend. Exciting moving forward.”
