Max Verstappen had long promised that given the tools he was more than capable of delivering a world championship. He duly took the title last year but his victory at the Canadian Grand Prix for Red Bull was an object demonstration that he appears in every position to now go on to seal multiple championships.
He had never won at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve before but owned it with a dominant and composed drive redolent of the great champions, including seeing off a late charge from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who was second. The victory has crucially further extended Verstappen’s lead over title-rival Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who is third in the championship, to 49 points.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell secured third and fourth for Mercedes with a performance that will be a real fillip for the team. Third place equalled Hamilton’s best result this season. The seven-time champion had been enormously happy at claiming fourth on the grid and given that the Mercedes is proving enormously difficult to drive he revelled in a deserved third place.
After a season battling a recalcitrant car, Hamilton’s broad smile and pleasure in having a decent ride beneath him was palpable. “It’s quite overwhelming to get this third place,” he said. “It’s been quite a battle. But we’ve never given up, and I’ve been inspired by my crew. We’re getting closer.”
Indeed they are it seems and importantly there will be cause for optimism at Mercedes in that they demonstrated superb race pace staying well in touch with the times of Ferrari and Red Bull.
Yet it was Verstappen who had shown the field how hard it will be to catch him this season. After a remarkable lap in treacherous wet conditions to claim pole, he followed it with a masterclass of control at times under fierce pressure. The 24-year-old’s title-winning victory in Abu Dhabi last year may have been mired in controversy but there is simply no arguing with his credentials to be world champion, then and more importantly, now. This is his sixth win from nine races this season and afterwards he bore the relaxed demeanour of a man who knows he is exactly where he wants to be.
“I was giving it everything, but so was Carlos,” he said. “He was pushing, charging, pushing, charging. I had fun today.”
Verstappen has been aided this season by Ferrari’s reliability problems that have recently plagued Leclerc. Here it was a case of Leclerc doing his best to minimise the damage of starting from 19th after grid penalties for an engine change. This was always going to be a difficult afternoon and he made it back to take fifth. Not quite what he would have hoped for as Ferrari left him out too long bottled up behind Esteban Ocon. The Scuderia now badly need to give him a reliable car with which to challenge and hone their decision making if they are to begin clawing back Verstappen’s lead.
From the very off, Verstappen had shown his intent. He made a great start from pole, seeing off the threat from Fernando Alonso who was alongside him on the front row, while Hamilton held on to his fourth place. Sainz then cleared Alonso to take second place on lap three allowing Hamilton to duly close on Alonso.
Verstappen swiftly opened a gap, three seconds clear of Sainz by lap eight. Pit stops ensued after an early virtual safety car when Sergio Pérez pulled off the track after a gearbox problem on lap nine, with Verstappen and Hamilton stopping but Ferrari leaving Sainz out to inherit the lead.
Racing resumed with Verstappen now behind Sainz and Alonso, but he swiftly passed the latter on lap 16 to claim second, showing his commitment on fresh rubber with a series of fastest laps.
In a race dictated by his control, the flawless execution lap after lap was vital and he showed no chinks in the armour. Sainz pitted under a second VSC and Verstappen reassumed the lead, the Dutchman having already pounded out an advantage, nine seconds clear of Sainz by lap 20. Verstappen was serene in front, reacting with pace every time the Spaniard edged closer. He took his second stop on lap 44 and Sainz now led with Ferrari looking to pull off a one-stop race, with a nine-second lead to Verstappen.
However a safety car was called on lap 49 and Ferrari jumped on the chance for a free stop for Sainz, who came out in second. It left a sprint to the finish between the two on similar rubber.
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Verstappen nailed the restart with 15 laps remaining and attempted to reimpose his authority. Sainz refused to be bowed and stayed within DRS range. Sainz closed repeatedly but Verstappen held his nerve and the perfect line. Sainz hounded him hard but the Dutchman was imperious in seeing out the pressure to take the flag.
The season still has a long way to run but in Montreal Verstappen showed form that sees him more than ready to disappear over the horizon. Catching him now will be some feat.
Alpine’s Ocon was in sixth and his teammate Alonso in seventh. Valtteri Bottas and his teammate Guanyu Zhou were in eighth and ninth for Alfa Romeo and Lance Stroll tenth for Aston Martin.