Max Verstappen has won the Canadian Grand Prix to further extend his lead in the F1 Drivers Championship in what is becoming a procession to the title. This win was a milestone for Red Bull as they recorded their 100th win as a constructor in the sport, a feat that only Mercedes, Williams, Mclaren, Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton have achieved in history.
Verstappen also made it 41 wins in Formula One, equalling the legendary Ayrton Senna, while he is certain to move into the top five of all-time in that particular list by the end of the season. For Red Bull, who made their debut in 2005, their 100th win came in their 355th race start, and this recent period of dominance doesn’t look like ending anytime soon.
They’ve had Mark Webber, Sebastien Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, but Max Verstappen is without a doubt the best they have ever had. And it just so happens that he has been married up with the best car they have ever produced. One of the best cars the sport has ever seen.
This race was another that Verstappen led every single lap of, without coming under any serious bother. He moaned about the tyre grip throughout the first stint but there were no issues on or off the track for him yet again. The action unfolded behind him though as he cruised to victory.
Lewis Hamilton took Fernando Alonso from the start as George Russell put him under pressure but soon the young Brit smashed into the wall of the chicane causing huge damage to his Mercedes.
It led to a yellow flag but somehow the W14 was not completely out of the race, but by the time Russell returned to the track he was stone dead last. The safety car also provided a chance for teams to pit, and the pack bunched up. Max Verstappen was still the quickest car on track by a mile, but behind him Fernando Alonso dug in to retake second spot from Lewis Hamilton.
The two Ferrari’s also made up ground, with Charles Leclerc in fourth and Carlos Sainz in fifth on mediums, with Sergio Perez also recovering from a poor qualifying display to get himself up to sixth.
The Mexican flew past Alex Albon as the Red Bull showed its straight line speed again but there was relatively little change in the order. Russell eventually gave up the ghost and retired with 14 laps to go, while Alex Albon attempted to hold off the queue of Esteban Ocon, Valterri Bottas and Lando Norris.
Hamilton was on a mission, chasing down Alonso like his life depended on it but his medium tyres gave up near the end of the race, while Norris finally got past Bottas and up into 9th. Ocon’s rear-wing became wobbly and it gave Lando a chance to hunt him down over the last two laps but he couldn’t quite manage it on the final chicane as he ran off.
Lance Stroll pipped Bottas to tenth on the line in his home race to give us one final flurry of drama, and the battle between Aston Martin and Mercedes for second in the Constructors’ Championship looks like the most intriguing battle we will get for the remainder of the season. Hamilton couldn’t quite catch Alonso today, but the two number one drivers seem well matched - while you’d back Russel to get the better of stroll in most races - but again, that didn’t happen today.
Today is a milestone marker for the best team in Formula One. 100 wins. Verstappen moves level with Senna, and one step closer to his third consecutive world title.
