Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen continued his unstoppable season on Sunday at the 2023 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion seemed to be in a race of his own at the Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as he led from the pole position through the entire race.
It was a momentous and historic victory both for Red Bull Racing and the racer. The victory was the 41st for Verstappen, which ties him with Ayrton Senna for fifth all time. The race also marked Red Bull Racing's 100th win since entering F1 in 2005.
Lewis Hamilton, 2023 F1 Canadian Grand Prix – via Mercedes-Benz AMG
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso came out swinging with a surprise performance. The Spaniard traded places with Lewis Hamilton multiple times throughout the race and managed to hold off the Brit to come in second. Hamilton came in third as the only finisher for Mercedes-Benz AMG Petronas.
George Russell, 2023 F1 Canadian Grand Prix – via Mercedes-Benz AMG
On lap 12, George Russell hit the barrier with the right rear of his car after losing control and going over the track curbing. Russell limped back to the pits where he had his car checked over, received new tires, and got the green light from the team to continue racing. However, he retired on lap 55 due to the brakes getting too hot after the hit, likely due to unseen damage to the ducting.
Ferrari at the 2023 F1 Canadian Grand Prix – Via Ferrari
Both Ferraris, piloted by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz came in fourth and fifth, respectively, after a mostly uneventful race for the duo. They were two of only five drivers—including Perez, Magnussen, and Bottas—to stay out on the track during the Safety Car session after Russell hit the wall.
Mayhem in the pits created a handful of near-misses, and F1 officials investigated multiple instances during the race. All parties, including Hamilton, Alonso, and Lando Norris, were cleared of wrongdoing and no further action was taken.
During the last few turns of the last lap, Norris made an attempt to overtake Gasly, but the effort didn't pay off. Nor would it matter, as he lost his points finish after the flag dropped. Officials gave him a five-second penalty for "unsportsmanlike conduct" behind the Safety Car. The call was made after Norris was accused of backing up traffic to clear the way for a McLaren double stack in the pits.
After the 2023 Canadian F1 Grand Prix, Verstappen is in the clear lead for the 2023 Drivers' Championship with 195 points. Perez remains in second now with 126 points, but Alonso is coming up quickly with 117 points and Hamilton is chasing with 102 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull Racing is far ahead of the competition with 321 points. Mercedes-Benz AMG sits in second place far behind with 167 points, while Aston Martin trails in third with 154. Ferrari is beginning to fade from the pack with 122 points.
Below are the full results from the 2023 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix:
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
2) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +9.570 seconds
3) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG +14.168 seconds
4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +18.648 seconds
5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari +21.540 seconds
6) Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing +51.028 seconds
7) Alexander Albon, Williams +60.813 seconds
8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine +61.692 seconds
9) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +64.402 seconds
10) Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo +64.432 seconds
11) Oscar Piastri, McLaren +65.101 seconds
12) Pierre Gasly, Alpine +65.249 seconds
13) Lando Norris, McLaren +68.363 seconds
14) Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri +73.423 seconds
15) Niko Hulkenberg, Haas +1 lap
16) Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo +1 lap
17) Kevin Magnussen, Haas +1 lap
18) Nyck De Vries, AlphaTauri +1 lap
19) George Russel, Mercedes-Benz AMG, retired
20) Logan Sargeant, Williams, retired
