The Canadian Grand Prix provided us with a lot of emotions. Some very good, others less so. On the positive side, Verstappen, McLaren, and Mercedes put on a great show at the front. For much of the race, any of the three drivers in the leading positions could have won. On the negative side, Ferrari suddenly decided to give us a flashback to the 2020 Formula 1 season.
Key moments of the race
Haas’s courage
The race started on a damp track with Intermediate tires. Only the Haas cars fitted Full Wet tires. Initially, this choice paid off as Magnussen moved from P14 to P4 ahead of Piastri in just a few laps. Then it stopped raining, and the American team’s drivers had to switch to Intermediates while the others continued. Haas played a wildcard. If the rain had continued, they would have built a great chance. It was right to take the risk and try.
McLaren inattentive and wasteful
Pole-sitter Russell managed to maintain the lead until lap 20, when the track began to dry. The dry line became increasingly clear, but forecasts predicted rain shortly, so the drivers stayed out on Intermediates. Norris managed best in this phase, jumping from third to first with two excellent overtakes on Verstappen and then Russell. The Dutchman, following in Lando’s wake, took the opportunity to pass George.
Norris’s pace was impressive in this phase. Within 2 or 3 laps, he extended his lead over Verstappen to 11 seconds. Then, on lap 25, the Safety Car was deployed due to Sargeant’s retirement. Norris had time to pit, but due to a mistake by the pit wall, Lando was not called in and pitted one lap later than his rivals, dropping to P3 behind Verstappen and Russell. This mistake compromised almost every chance of victory.
McLaren redeems itself in the switch to slicks
It started raining again, and the drivers used the second set of Intermediates until lap 45, when the track began to dry again. This time, the forecasts indicated no more rain, so the drivers decided to switch to slicks. On this occasion, McLaren made the right move. While Verstappen and George Russell pitted for Medium and Hard tires respectively, Lando extended his stint by an additional three laps, proving to be the fastest on track. The Brit made up all the lost ground and, when he exited the pit lane, he was even ahead of Max Verstappen, reclaiming the lead. Unfortunately, his tires were still cold, and the exit trajectory was still very wet. So the British driver had to settle for P2.
Initially, George Russell managed to get more out of the Hard tires. He passed Lando Norris and tried to attack Max Verstappen. Soon, the Medium tires began to work better, so Lando retook P2 around lap 50 and started chasing Verstappen, who had meanwhile pulled away and was 5.5 seconds ahead.
Mercedes takes full advantage of the second Safety Car
On lap 54, Sergio Perez hits the wall, and shortly after, Carlos Sainz spins and collides with Alex Albon. The Safety Car is deployed again, and Mercedes takes the opportunity to change tires: Russell switches to Mediums, relinquishing P3 to Piastri, and Lewis opts for Hards, staying in P5.
The choice pays off for Mercedes in the end. The two Brits are competitive and attempt to attack the McLarens. Russell loses time in contact with Piastri (which will be investigated after the race). George is also overtaken by Hamilton but does not give up. Lewis is fast, his teammate follows in his wake, and together they overtake Piastri. On the penultimate lap, George re-overtakes the seven-time champion to secure the podium. On the last lap, Lewis Hamilton sets the fastest lap in a show of pride on Hard tires: 1’14”856.
The race ends with Max Verstappen winning, Lando Norris 3.8 seconds behind, George Russell 0.4 seconds behind the McLaren, followed by Lewis Hamilton 0.5 seconds behind. Oscar Piastri, who probably asked too much of the Medium tires at the beginning of the stint, finishes 5.3 seconds behind Lewis.
Alonso, Stroll, Ricciardo, Gasly, and Ocon complete the top-10. Daniel delivers a great performance, while his teammate Tsunoda makes a mistake that costs him a top-10 finish.
2020 Remake for Ferrari
As for Ferrari, it might have been better to stay in Maranello this weekend. A poor qualifying was followed by an indescribable performance in the race. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz never found their rhythm. Charles had an engine problem that affected the entire first part of the race (things didn’t change much after resetting the PU during the first SC). Meanwhile, the Spaniard was hindered by a contact early on, which reportedly damaged his car’s floor (at least according to the team principal). Besides the problems, the choice to put Charles Leclerc on Hards when the track was still very wet was questionable, a gamble that didn’t pay off, as the Maranello team hoped the weather forecast that predicted rain would not materialize. After a few laps, The Monegasque driver asked to return to the pits for a new set of intermediate tires.
The race ends with a double retirement, technical issues for Leclerc, and Sainz’s contact with Albon following a mistake. The truth is that Ferrari was never in the game this weekend. After the celebrations in Monaco, a 2020 remake was quite fitting. The result is the outcome of a series of mistakes made one after another. Mistakes that should not belong to a team fighting (or perhaps it is better to say was fighting) for the Constructors’ Championship. McLaren has strengthened and, with today’s excellent performance, has dangerously closed the gap to 40 points. Now even second place is at risk.
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