Featured Columnist IVJune 9, 2024
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Max Verstappen won Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, claiming his 60th win on what was a wild day of Formula One racing at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal.
Formula 1 @F1
Back on top 💪#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/FSvzZj0arn
BBC Sport @BBCSport
A return to winning ways for Max Verstappen ✨
He seals victory in an action-packed #CanadianGP #BBCF1 pic.twitter.com/wqciPhzmja
ESPN F1 @ESPNF1
Torrential rain. Safety cars. DNFs. Tyre strategies. Max Verstappen always finds a way 🥇 pic.twitter.com/9Jx1EbPf0E
Lando Norris finished second, his third time as the runner-up this year, while George Russell claimed third.
This was Verstappen’s sixth win on the season, though it wasn’t an easy one.
A wet track led to a number of safety cars and Charles Leclerc’s car struggling enough that he eventually pulled out of the race. Verstappen had his own issues on the day but persevered.
BBC Sport @BBCSport
Max Verstappen leads but all is not perfect for the three-time world champion 😬#BBCF1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/Tnx6ESfu25
“It was a pretty crazy race, a lot of things were happening and we had to keep on top of our calls,” Verstappen said after the race. “As a team we did really well today, we remained calm and we pitted at the right time, the safety car worked out nicely for us but even after that we were managing the gaps quite well. I love it, that was a lot of fun, those kind of races you need once in a while.”
Formula 1 @F1
RACE CLASSIFICATION 🇨🇦
Spins, collisions, five DNFs… and a 60th career victory for Max Verstappen 🤯#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/XO0VJPnipz
Formula 1 @F1
LAP CHART (LAP 70/70)
Untangle this 😵💫 #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/51fxEx4Gvl
Formula 1 @F1
GAINS AND LOSSES 🇨🇦
Great effort from both @AlpineF1Team drivers 👏👏#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/Cvp5pI3Dwq
Norris, who finished second, had his chances to steal the win but wasn’t as steady as the seemingly inevitable Verstappen.
“It was [wild]. It was chaos, it was eventful to be honest. I felt like I drove a good race, the whole time, from start to finish,” he noted. “The first two stints were strong, I had amazing pace, then the safety car had me over, just like it helped me in Miami. It’s now had me back over. Honestly, I thought it was a pretty perfect race from my side, just a bit unlucky but it was good fun overall.”
But it’s Verstappen’s world, and the rest of us are just taking a pit stop in it. He’s now won six of the nine races this season after winning 19 of 22 last year. There isn’t an athlete who is dominating his or own sport on his level at this point.
Sunday was just another reminder of that fact.
