Formula 1
Max Verstappen Triumphs in Canada as Red Bull Bounces Back: 2024 Canadian Grand Prix Review
Verstappen secures a crucial win for Red Bull as Norris impresses for McLaren and Mercedes celebrates a podium with Russell, while Ferrari faces a double DNF setback.
The 2024 Canadian Grand Prix delivered a thrilling spectacle filled with unexpected twists and standout performances. In a weekend marked by unpredictable weather and high stakes, Red Bull sought redemption after a challenging outing in Monaco. Max Verstappen secured a commanding victory for Red Bull. McLaren’s Lando Norris came in second after leading the race briefly. Mercedes took home their first trophy of the season as George Russell came in third. However, Ferrari faced a tough weekend, with both cars failing to finish the race.
Free Practice
Mercedes-powered cars led all three practice sessions this weekend, suggesting Red Bull was on the back foot.
Free Practice 1
There was heavy rain before the start of the first practice session, causing a delay in the opening of the pit exit as there was a lot of standing water on the newly resurfaced track. Hamilton was the first driver to explore the track on the green walled intermediate tyres almost halfway into the session.
A short while later, Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu aquaplaned out of turn 4 and collided with the wall, bringing out the red flag. For this session, the number 31 Alpine was sporting 61 as Jack Doohan replaced Esteban Ocon for the first of the year’s two mandatory FP1 rookie sessions. With 5 minutes to go in the session, drivers put on some slick tyres only to find out that the track wasn’t dry enough for the dry tyres. Multiple drivers including Verstappen, Leclerc, and Ricciardo went off the track attempting to find the limits. Mclaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest time of the session of 1:24:435 on the slick tyres while Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap on the intermediate tyres which was 3 seconds off the pace of Norris.
Free Practice 2
All teams were keen on getting some dry running after a wet FP1, except Ferrari, who sent Leclerc out on intermediates even before the rain hit the track with around 20 minutes to go. The highlights of the session included Alex Albon narrowly avoiding colliding into the ‘Wall of Champions’ and Leclerc taking his Ferrari for a spin in the turn 10 hairpin. The fastest lap of the session was set by last year’s podium finisher Fernando Alonso with a time of 1:15:180 on the soft tyres.
Free Practice 3
The final practice was the first completely dry session of the weekend, resulting in the teams making up for the lost dry running in the first two sessions. The session was briefly halted by the red flag brought out by Zhou Ghuanyu who crashed for the second time this weekend, this time out of turn 2, into the pit exit. A driver who just avoided an incident was Charles Leclerc who corrected a slide out of the final chicane. Verstappen and Albon were not so lucky as they both gave a tap to the ‘Wall of Champions’. Seven-time Canadian GP winner Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the session at 1:12:549.
Qualifying
Qualifying was probably the most anticipated session of the weekend as the pecking order was not exactly clear after the 3 practice sessions.
Q1 began under dry conditions, but rain was expected sometime in Q2. Defending champion Max Verstappen set the fastest time in Q1 while his teammate Sergio Perez, whose 2-year contract extension with Red Bull was announced earlier that week was P16 and eliminated in Q1 for the second race running. Others eliminated in Q1 included both the Saubers, Hulkenberg, and Ocon, while Sargeant advanced into Q2.
The surprise eliminations in Q2 included both the Ferraris with Leclerc in 11th and Sainz, one worse in 12th. There were some spots of rain in Q2 and Q3 but nothing that would cause tyre changes.
Q3 was neck to neck with Russell and Verstappen setting the same fastest time of 1:12:000 and 3-tenths of a second covering the top seven. Russell was on pole as he set the quickest time before Verstappen who qualified second. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top 5.
The Race
Everybody started the race on the intermediate tyres except both the Haas cars of Magnussen and Hulkenberg who chose the full wets. The Saubers started from the pitlane as they made setup changes after qualifying.
The entire grid made a tentative start owing to the wet conditions with the top four maintaining their positions and Hamilton and Alonso making up a place each. The first lap saw only one incident as Perez made contact with the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, which was deemed as a racing incident by race control, and no penalties were awarded.
The initial conditions proved to be conducive to the extreme wet tyres. Kevin Magnussen made up 11 positions in the first seven laps and his teammate Nico Hulkenberg made up 9 places, but as the track began to dry out the wet tyres began to fall off due to overheating and both the teammates began conceding places. On lap 8, K Mag made a pitstop for intermediate tyres, but a slow pitstop meant all the progress he made earlier became redundant.
In the full wet condition at the start of the race, Russell and Verstappen were pulling away from the Mclarens of Norris and Piastri, but as the track started drying, the Mclarens found some pace and Norris, with DRS enabled, made moves on the Russell and Verstappen, inheriting the lead of the race. Russell also lost out to Verstappen on the 21st lap.
On the 25th lap, Sargeant spun his Williams and crashed into the wall, bringing out the safety car. Verstappen and Russell pitted on lap 26 for new inters and Norris had to go around one more time before pitting as he had crossed the pit entry by the time the Safety Car was deployed. In this case, the undercut worked and Norris narrowly lost the lead of the race to Verstappen, rejoining the race in P3 behind Russell.
Verstappen managed to keep the lead of the race on the safety car restart but further down the field, Albon pulled off a spectacular double overtake for P9 on Ricciardo and Ocon in the span of a single chicane.
Leclerc had to retire the car on lap 34 as a result of some power unit issues he had been having since the start of the race. As the track dried out, the leaders were the last three cars to make the switch to the slick tyres. They made their stops on lap 45 and 46 with Verstappen maintaining the lead of the race. On lap 53 out of 70, Perez had to retire with a broken rear wing after he crashed on his own. The next lap saw two more retirements as Sainz spun and took out an unfortunate Albon with him, bringing out the safety car. Multiple cars pitted under the safety car.
The last laps of the race saw some hard racing from Piastri, Russell, and Hamilton with Russell and Piastri even making contact once in the final chicane. The last retirement of the race took place on the 66th lap as Tsunoda dropped it out of turn 8 while racing with Esteban Ocon. Verstappen took the chequered flag for his 60th win in F1, followed by Norris. Russell finished P3 to take the first podium of the season for Mercedes and Hamilton and Piastri rounded up the top 5. Hamilton set the fastest lap on the last lap and Norris became the Driver of the Day which is decided by fan voting.
“It was a pretty crazy race” -Verstappen.
“A lot of things were happening and we had to be on top of our calls. I think as a team we just did really well today, we remained calm, and I think we pitted at the right time. Of course, the Safety Car worked out nicely for us, but even after that I think we were managing the gaps quite well. I loved it – that was a lot of fun. Those kinds of races, you need them once in a while!” said Verstappen.
Championship Standings
Verstappen extended his championship lead at the top while Leclerc scored 0 points allowing Norris to close the gap to him.
Formula 1
George Russell Takes The Flag At Canada, McLarens Collide, Antonelli On The Podium: Formula 1 in Montreal
George Russell had a perfect weekend in Canada, scoring the pole position on Saturday and converting it into a win on Sunday. The joy was doubled for Mercedes as Kimi Antonelli scored his first podium, coming home in P3 and helping Mercedes get a double podium in Canada. The same can not be said for championship leaders McLaren, as the day everyone in the team feared arrived, Lando Norris made contact with Oscar Piastri, resulting in a DNF for Norris.
Read The Race Preview Here: Formula 1 Heads To Canada: What To Expect
Mercedes Score Big
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have had a dream race day in Canada, after Antonelli’s rut over the triple header where he did not score a single point, the 18-year-old rookie qualified P4 and overtook WDC Leader Oscar Piastri to take his first ever F1 Podium.
His teammate also kept his cool, after taking pole on Saturday and starting alongside Max Verstappen, George Russell had a challenge set up for him on Sunday. Early pressure from the Dutchman was applied, but Russell kept his marbles together. There was another late effort by Max, but ultimately, the Brit managed to take his first win in his 2025 campaign. Mercedes scored a very respectable double podium.
Title Rivals Collide
It was a sub-par qualifying for both the McLarens, with Oscar Piastri lining up P3, and Lando Norris lining up a disappointing P7. A new challenge awaited the pair on Sunday, with both Mercedes and Max being competitive enough, moving forward would not be as easy as it seemed.
Into the wall and out of the race! 😱
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 15, 2025
Lando Norris apologised for this collision with his teammate Oscar Piastri #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/4FiNVm1hiI
Oscar was overtaken by Antonelli, dropping him to P4, and a recovering Lando Norris lined up P5, putting pressure on his teammate in the final 10 laps, on Lap 67, Lando got close to the rear wheel of his teammate and went for a gap on the inside wall of the Start-Finish straight, this move resulted in a DNF for Lando, losing him some very valuable points, and thankfully no harm was caused to his teammate, who was able to bring the car home in P4.
Verstappen Keeps His Nose Clean
Max Verstappen is just 1 penalty point away from a race ban, and in this race he almost got the final point when he was controversially brake-checked by George Russell under a late race Safety Car, a move that was protested after the race by Red Bull. But thankfully for Max, the FIA were understanding of the situation and decided not to take any action.
Leclerc Debates Ferrari
Charles Leclerc had an underwhelming Qualifying, facing a challenge on Sunday. He, along with Lando, started on the hard compound tires. Notably, mid-race, when Leclerc was asked if he wanted to extend for a One-Stopper or come in for a Two-Stopper, Leclerc opted for the 1-Stop Strategy. A call that was later disregarded by his team, who brought him into the pits anyway for a tire change. It was a puzzling call from Ferrari, trying to secure an already guaranteed P6 position.
Lewis Hamilton, on the other side of the garage, ran a disadvantageous race. After running over a hedgehog early on in the race, damage was done to the floor, which lost him 30 points of downforce, reportedly worth 0.5s a lap; he did the best he could to score decent points.
Other Notable Performances
Fernando Alonso scored points for the second time this season, showing that the upgrades on his Aston Martin are effective. This is his second race in a row where he has scored points, finishing a notable P7 after an impressive Qualifying.
Nico Hulkenberg also utilises the upgrades on his car to propel himself to the top 10, and Sauber off the bottom of the WCC. Alpine are now last in the Constructors Championship, disappointing considering the start they had to the season.
The one-stop strategy rewarded both Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz, who finished P9 and P10, scoring a few points for the team, and solidifying their position in the Midfield.
Race Results
Russell. Verstappen. Antonelli 👏
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 15, 2025
After all that late-race drama, here's your top 🔟 in Canada 👇#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/iz9qVuIdBC
Standings
Russell and Verstappen make up ground on Piastri and Norris in the drivers' standings 👀📊#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/KD8y5JbZUh
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 15, 2025
Mercedes' double podium finish moves them ahead of Ferrari! 🆙
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 15, 2025
Haas and Aston Martin also make up a place in the standings 👏#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/v3rgdYVCd5
Next Race In Austria
Formula 1 has a 2-week break until their next outing at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, and the pressure is building on Lando Norris to bring home the results. Mercedes might be becoming a real contender now after their performances in Canada. A clean race by Verstappen, but he is still nearing a race ban due to the penalty points.
These are some of the considerations for the next outing on the 29th of June.
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X/, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
The Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix that took place on June 1 2025, wrapped up the second triple header of the 75th edition of Formula 1. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya held the last Spanish Grand Prix, as the event is set to relocate to Madrid from 2026.
As two of the three triple headers of this season end, with the McLaren duo separated by 10 points and Max Verstappen breathing down their necks, let’s review how each of the 3-week long racing action has affected the championship battle.
Max, Lando and Oscar [Left to Right] at the Japanese GP 2025
Japan-Bahrain-Saudi Arabia
The opening triple header of the season delivered some great racing action. Max Verstappen proved to the world that he is never out of the championship fight, with his dominant pole-to-victory performance, despite McLaren having the car advantage. The Flying Dutchman marked his 4th consecutive win at Suzuka while the Papaya duo completed the podium. Hadjar gained his first points in Formula 1 in P8.
Oscar Piastri stood at the top step of the podium at Bahrain for his 50th Formula 1 race, delivering McLaren’s first ever win at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The young Australian started at pole and led every lap, showcasing his talent, while his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris, finished P3 despite his 5-second penalty for a false start. Multiple technical failures and a pit signal fault resulted in Max finishing P6, costing him several championship points. The Dutch wasn’t the only one suffering from technical issues, as George Russell’s Mercedes faced multiple troubles, despite which he finished P2 fending off Norris.
Another weekend, another win for Piastri. This one is even more special as it led to him becoming the first Australian to lead the championship since Mark Webber, his manager, in 2010. Even though Verstappen received a 5-second penalty during the race, he finished P2. Ferrari seemed to finally get back into their rhythm as Charles Leclerc garnered the Italian team’s first podium of the year with a solid P3. Williams’ double points finish marked their surge among the midfield, pushing them up to 5th in the championship.
The triple header ended with Oscar Piastri leading the championship, 7 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris, who himself was just 5 points ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen. With the top 5 separated by only 30 points, the fight for the championship was on.
Imola-Monaco-Spain
The second and the most recent triple header had all three title contenders win each race. Max Verstappen overtook pole-sitter Oscar Piastri on the first lap to secure his 4th win here, while Lando and Oscar completed the podium. Franco Colapinto, who replaced rookie Jack Doohan from this race onwards, started and finished at P16, delivering a lukewarm debut performance.
At Monaco, Lando Norris secured his first win at the Principality, fending off homeboy Charles Leclerc in P2. Oscar stayed in P3, as most of the grid finished exactly where they qualified, apart from Fernando Alonso, claiming to be “the unluckiest driver”, who retired from P6 due to an engine failure.
Lando after his win at the Monaco GP (Credits: Formula 1)
The latest race, the Spanish Grand Prix, delivered equal parts of racing and drama. All was well till lap 60 when the safety car came out. RedBull pitted Max for a fourth time and sent him out with brand new hard tires, which, due to not warming up properly for the restart, led him to lose a position to Leclerc. Another incident with Russell resulted in Verstappen’s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase requesting him to let the Briton through. Initially refusing, on lap 64, Max appeared to let Russell go past him, but swerved into him on turn 5, causing a collision.
This unnecessary action and RedBull pit wall’s questionable decisions resulted in Verstappen being handed a 10-second penalty and 3 penalty points, which critically impacted his championship battle. Nico Hulkenberg in his Sauber, overtook 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari on the penultimate lap, securing a P5 finish. Fernando Alonso also ended his pointless run, garnering 2 points at his home grand prix. The McLaren duo clinched a 1-2 finish, avoiding all the drama behind them.
The second triple header ends with Ferrari shooting up two places to reach P2 in the Constructors’ Championship Standings, although McLaren leads with a comfortable 197 points.
The Drivers’ Championship is very close, with Norris only 10 points behind the leader Piastri. Max, however, due to his 10-second penalty, lags by 49 points, staying at P3.
The next and final triple header consists of the last three races of this season: Las Vegas-Qatar-Abu Dhabi. As the championship stands, it’s fair to speculate that the battle could go on till the final triple header. As we lie in wait till the next race weekend in Canada, let’s enjoy the on and off-track drama unfolding in front of our eyes.
Will Oscar Piastri be the first Australian World Champion since Alan Jones in 1980, or will teammate Lando Norris be successful in retaking the lead of the championship? Never count Max Verstappen out, as he also has the chance to defend his title. Any mid-season upgrades could bring George Russell or Charles Leclerc to the fight as well. The prestigious 75th anniversary of Formula 1 is definitely providing some great battles, which unfortunately can only be won by one.
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X/, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
The anticipation is building as the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix approaches, bringing Formula 1 back to the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Set against the backdrop of the St. Lawrence River, this high-speed, high-stakes race is a mid-season favourite known for dramatic overtakes, unpredictable weather, and passionate fans. With championship battles heating up and teams pushing the limits of performance, the 2025 edition promises another thrilling chapter in Canada’s rich motorsport history. Here’s a look at what to expect as the engines roar back to life in one of F1’s most beloved venues.
About The Track
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve offers a technically demanding layout that balances high-speed sections with heavy braking zones. Turns 1 and 2 require precise throttle control and set the tone for the lap.
The Turn 10 hairpin is a critical overtaking point, featuring one of the heaviest braking zones on the calendar and leading onto a 1.2 km straight where DRS can be deployed. This back straight leads to the final chicane (Turns 13 and 14), where late braking offers a chance to pass, though drivers must be cautious of the infamous “Wall of Champions” on exit. A second DRS zone along the main straight aids slipstreaming into Turn 1, making the circuit a prime venue for intense and strategic battles on track and in the pit lane.
Pirelli’s Specifications
For the #CanadianGP, the softest trio of compounds will feature on track. That means that the C6 will be in use, alongside its closest relatives, the C5 as Medium and the C4 as Hard. Read more here 👉https://t.co/DlTqNkvtUn #F1 pic.twitter.com/ZWjgybDVjW
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) June 9, 2025
Pirelli has selected the softest compounds on the spectrum, meaning the C6 (soft), C5 (medium), and C4 (hard) compound tires will be in use throughout the weekend.
Track Evolution being on a 5/5 rating denotes that times will tumble on Saturday during the Qualifying session, so drivers will need to be consistent on every lap.
Stories This Weekend
Piastri With The Momentum
Oscar Piastri led a controversial Spanish Grand Prix from start to finish, keeping his distance from his rivals. He leads the Drivers Championship by 10 points over his teammate, a battle that will continue to run till the end of the season. The Aussie is very much in contention for his first-ever title, so he will need any and every win he can get. That’s what he’s going to be gunning for in Montreal.
European triple ✅
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 9, 2025
Focused on Canada 👊#McLaren | #CanadianGP 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/ZQg11idjPa
Max Nears A Ban
Max Verstappen is now just 1 penalty point away from a Race Ban, which presents an opportunity for Arvid Lindbald to potentially make his F1 debut for VCARB, and Isack Hadjar a seat in the senior Red Bull team.
Notably, Isack Hadjar has scored more points than Max Verstappen has in the last 2 races.
Stroll At Home
Lance Stroll withdrew from the Spanish Grand Prix following a concern about his wrist injury from 2023. He is now preparing to hit the ground running and score some points at his home race.
A taste of home.@lance_stroll brought the team together last night at one of his favourite Montreal spots, Lester’s Deli. 💚 pic.twitter.com/cZL3yzgiH3
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 12, 2025
200 Races For Haas
The American Team achieves a landmark 200 race appearances. They have prepared special race suits for this occasion and, of course, a special livery. With a race so close to home, the pair of Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon will be gunning for the top 10.
Suited up like it’s 2016 👌
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) June 12, 2025
Celebrating 200 races with full throwback race suits 🤩#HaasF1 #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/zvaHjsGm3i
2026 Calendar Reveal
See you next year 🔥🇦🇺 https://t.co/bwVogdR7pj
— Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@Cadillac_F1) June 10, 2025
Weekend Schedule
📅 | Here is the Weekend Schedule for Formula 1's Canadian GP and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
— Desi Racing Co (@DesiRacingco) June 11, 2025
Note: All timings mentioned are in 🇮🇳 Indian Standard Time.#f1 #Formula1 #CanadianGP #WEC #LeMans24h pic.twitter.com/Hg6Es0G2du
Weather Forecast
Friday: 18°C, Wind 6 km/h, 1% chance of rain
Saturday: 21°C, Wind 11 km/h, 1% chance of rain
Sunday: 23°C, Wind 9 km/h, 2% chance of rain.
Conditions seem to be stable, allowing for consistent data throughout practice sessions and the race.
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
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