Verstappen resists Sainz and wins in Canada

Despite insistent pressure from Carlos Sainz in the last fifteen laps, Max Verstappen scored his sixth victory of the season in Montreal.

Published on 19/06/2022 à 21:40

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Verstappen resists Sainz and wins in Canada

Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix. © Antonin Vincent / DPPI

It is decidedly imperial. Nothing and no one can resist Max Verstappen This year. No matter the strategy, no matter the Safety Car, no matter the adversity, Verstappen always triumphs. This is already a sixth victory for the reigning world champion, which this time he will not have acquired in an armchair. The Batavian, who was leading comfortably, saw the threat Carlos Sainz appear fifteen laps from the goal, when Yuki tsunoda got out and caused the intervention of the safety car.

Runway exit for Yuki Tsunoda 💥

Pilot OK!#CanadianGP | ▶️ https://t.co/7plkVVV12v pic.twitter.com/0phkHWmFlG

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) June 19, 2022

For fifteen laps, the Spaniard put the pressure on, constantly in the DRS zone, but Max Verstappen did not flinch, with complete control, to stifle the Hispanic driver's desire for a first victory. On the podium, he finds an old acquaintance in the person of Lewis Hamilton. The British and Mercedes finished 3rd and 4th, with a new Top 5 for George Russell, the ninth in nine races!

Max Verstappen wins the race ahead of Sainz! Follow the debrief straight away on CANAL+! 🏁🇨🇦#CanadianGP | ▶️ https://t.co/7plkVVV12v pic.twitter.com/wfEyu4dk4B

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) June 19, 2022

Alonso tumbles

Before the race, Laurent Red had spoken of a 6th final position as a reasonable objective for Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, second in qualifying, had a difficult race. First there was the rhythm of his Alpine, of course, but also strategic decisions that are difficult to understand from the outside. While his rivals took advantage of one of the two virtual safety cars that intervened in the first part of the race to pass into the pit lane, the Bull of Asturias did not return and lost big. As is often the case, despite his flamboyance on Saturday, he finished behind Esteban Ocon on Sunday (6th and 7th).

Switched between the two Alpine and the two Mercedes, Charles Leclerc completes the Top 5 and limits the damage after receiving various engine penalties. The driver of the No. 16 Ferrari actually managed a lot of overtaking in the first part of the race, but was unable to take advantage of the two virtual safety cars, which came out much too early, for him who started the Grand Prix on tires Hard and in 19th position. The representative of the Team was then stuck for around twenty laps behind Esteban Ocon, and lost three precious seconds on a very slow pit stop which cost him four places. A big attack at the end of the race on worn mediums allowed him to finish behind the Mercedes, and took the opportunity to come back to within three points of Sergio Pérez in the championship.

Note the double arrival at the points ofAlfa Romeo with Valtteri Bottas 8th and Guanyu-Zhou 9th. This is the second time that the latter city has scored in his career, after Bahrain last March. The local hero Lance stroll delighted his audience with a superb overtaking on Daniel Ricciardo in the last laps to get his third entry into the points of the season (10th). New complicated race on the other hand for Pierre Gasly, only 14th, and for Lando Norris, disappointing 15th. Sergio Perez et Mick Schumacher were forced to retire for mechanical reasons in the first part of this Canadian Grand Prix.