The 2023 Canadian Grand Prix was a thrilling race that saw Max Verstappen extend his lead in the World Championship with his fourth consecutive win and Red Bull’s 100th victory in Formula 1. The Dutchman dominated the race from pole position, but faced some challenges from Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin and Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes, who completed the podium.
The Start and the Safety Car
Verstappen had a perfect start and maintained his lead into the first corner, while Alonso lost second place to Hamilton after a slow getaway. Behind them, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz made up some positions in their Ferraris, while George Russell dropped back in his Mercedes after a poor launch.
The race was neutralized on lap 12 when Russell hit the wall at the final chicane and damaged his front wing. The Briton limped back to the pits, triggering a safety car period that prompted most of the drivers to make their first pit stops. Verstappen, Hamilton and Alonso switched to hard tyres, but Alonso nearly collided with Hamilton in the pit lane as the Mercedes driver was released into his path. The stewards investigated the incident but decided not to take any action.
Alonso’s Charge and Hamilton’s Struggle
At the restart, Alonso wasted no time and passed Hamilton for second place at the final chicane with a bold move. The Spaniard then set his sights on Verstappen, but could not match his pace and gradually fell behind. Alonso also had to deal with some rear brake issues that compromised his performance.
Hamilton, meanwhile, struggled to keep up with Alonso and was under pressure from Leclerc and Sainz, who were having a strong race for Ferrari. The Briton also had some brake problems and complained about his tyres losing grip. He could not challenge Alonso for second place and had to settle for third.
Russell’s Heartbreak and Bottas’ Recovery
Russell’s bad luck continued as he had to retire his Mercedes on lap 36 due to excessive front-left brake wear. The Briton had been making a remarkable recovery from his earlier mistake and had climbed up to eighth place before his race ended prematurely.
Valtteri Bottas, on the other hand, had a remarkable recovery from his disappointing qualifying performance that saw him start from 18th place. The Finn made up several positions at the start and then used an alternative strategy of starting on hard tyres and switching to mediums later. He managed to overtake several drivers in the closing stages of the race and finished in 10th place, scoring one point for Alfa Romeo.
Verstappen’s Dominance and Red Bull’s Milestone
Verstappen was in a class of his own at the front and crossed the finish line with a comfortable margin of 9.5 seconds over Alonso. The Dutchman scored his sixth win of the season and his 28th career victory in Formula 1. He also increased his lead in the drivers’ standings to 36 points over Hamilton.
Verstappen’s win also marked Red Bull’s 100th victory in Formula 1, making them only the fourth team in history to achieve this feat after Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes. Red Bull also extended their lead in the constructors’ standings to 58 points over Mercedes.
The Final Classification
The final classification of the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix was as follows:
| Position | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:29:32.570 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +9.570 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +14.168 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +18.648 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +21.540 |
| 6 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | +51.028 |
| 7 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +60.813 |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +61.692 |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +64.402 |
| 10 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | +64.432 |
The next race of the 2023 Formula 1 season will be the French Grand Prix at the Circuit Paul Ricard on June 25th.
