MONTREAL, Canada —
World champion
Max Verstappen increased his lead in this year’s Formula One
title race on Sunday when he drove his Red Bull to a thrilling victory in a
closely-fought Canadian Grand Prix.
اضافة اعلان
The 24-year-old Dutchman controlled a tactical race
from pole position through three safety car interventions and resisted intense
late pressure from
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to win by under a second.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who on
Friday declared his car as “undrivable”, came home third for Mercedes to claim
his second podium of a difficult season ahead of team-mate George Russell in
fourth.
It was Verstappen’s first Canadian victory in his
150th career start, his sixth this year and the 26th of his career, hoisting
him 46 points clear of his rivals in the championship.
“I was giving it everything,” said Verstappen. “But
so was Carlos. He was pushing, charging, pushing, charging. Naturally, it’s
easier to charge with DRS! I had fun today.”
Sainz said: “We were quicker, faster all race, but
it’s difficult to overtake round here. I’m particularly happy with the race
pace and with the pressure we put on Max.”
Hamilton, a record seven-time winner in Montreal,
cheered the big crowd — part of a weekend attendance of 338,000 — and said he
was “overwhelmed to get third place. It’s been quite a battle, but we’ve never
given up. I’ve been inspired by my crew.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started at the back
of the grid after taking a penalty for a new engine, finished fifth ahead of
Esteban Ocon of Alpine.
Valtteri Bottas
and his Alfa Romeo team-mate
Zhou Guanyu were later promoted to seventh and
eighth after Fernando Alonso in an Alpine was penalized five seconds for his
defending against Bottas.
The Spaniard slipped to ninth with Lance Stroll 10th
for Aston Martin.
After Saturday’s deluge, the race began with a
mixed-up ‘wet’ grid — with Leclerc, Perez, and several others out of their
normal race positions — as Verstappen made a clean start from his 15th pole
position to take control.
Behind him,
Kevin Magnussen made a dazzling
departure from fifth to challenge Hamilton, but the Briton resisted and
retained fourth as the order settled, Russell making his move early to pass
Mick Schumacher for seventh.
On lap three, Sainz passed Alonso, who had been
unable to deliver the attacking start he promised, to take second and begin his
pursuit of Verstappen.
Perez suffered ill-luck on lap nine when, battling
in midfield after starting 13th, his Red Bull lost drive at Turn 13.
“I’ve lost the engine, man,” he told the team as a
Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed and Verstappen and Hamilton pitted
promptly to switch from mediums to hards.
Seeking his first F1 victory, Sainz pulled clear at
the front as Verstappen eased past Alonso, with a DRS move, to take second by
lap 18.
A second VSC on lap 20, when
Schumacher pulled up
and retired at Turn 13 after his highest ever grid position of sixth. It appeared his Haas car had suffered a power
failure.
Sainz also pitted, re-joining third ahead of
Hamilton — with Verstappen back in the lead ahead of Alonso, who did not pit.
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