Canada – The highs and lows of the editorial team

Le top 3

Vettel did not miss the opportunity!

A victory in pure home style. The German recalled the good memories of his Red Bull years by attacking the race with a full throttle to leave Bottas and the pack behind. The Finn never had the chance to open his DRS to attempt an attack… Not troubled for a single second, Vettel’s performance on Saturday is also noteworthy, dominating a very tight top 6. The reliability issues of Lewis Hamilton’s old engine slightly tarnish his victory, but the German cannot be blamed for maximizing his chances. Special mention to his declarations for the Quebec Tifosi and the Villeneuve family: his respect elevates the discipline. He is now back at the top of the championship. The French Grand Prix will be a serious test, especially since this time, Mercedes will bring a rejuvenated engine! But for sure, Vettel is ready for the fight!

The moment Sebastian Vettel capped off a stunning weekend in Montreal

✅ Pole position
✅ Led every lap
✅ 50th race win
✅ Championship lead#CanadianGP 🇨🇦 #F1 pic.twitter.com/TqIbuTNsOR

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 10

The seriousness of Verstappen

Let’s acknowledge the performance: the Dutchman got back on track in Quebec. Close to headbutting a journalist for yet another question about his repeated crashes, Verstappen responded on the track by leading during the three free practice sessions, then outpacing his teammate by two-tenths in Qualifications (possibly affected by a slight engine power loss). No notable errors on Sunday and a strong finish to catch up with Bottas. The Red Bull protégé has his benchmark race for the start of the season! To be repeated.

Third entry into the points for the outstanding Leclerc

He himself no longer has the words to describe his new outstanding performance: the Monegasque enters the points for the third time this season! Reliability and speed, the rookie impresses again and again. In Canada, he dared to take on Fernando Alonso (before his retirement) and largely resisted the return of Gasly and Grosjean at the end of the race. Facing the clock, the Ferrari Driver Academy protégé reached Q2 for the fourth consecutive time while his teammate remains behind. The comparison with Marcus Ericsson is flattering in every way. Leclerc alone keeps his team ahead of Williams in the hierarchy!

What a race again !!!! So proud of my team @SauberF1Team ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UiGYPlGmVb

— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) June 10

The flop 3

Mercedes pays for its engine strategy

A crappy result: we need to wake up! Those are the harsh words of Toto Wolff after reading the Grand Prix results. Mercedes’ lack of performance in Canada illustrates a recurring observation: no team is managing to break away this season. And on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, the team mostly suffered from their decision not to bring a power unit upgrade, as Lewis Hamilton can attest. Cautiously, the team did not break their cars, and that is also essential. The flexible strategy could prove beneficial at the next Grand Prix in France, on a circuit where a newly upgraded German engine could shine. With Mercedes, a flop never lasts too long anyway!

Where had Räikkönen gone?

In Canada, the Finnish veteran (38 years old) did not hold up in comparison to his quadruple world champion teammate. While Vettel raced ahead, Räikkönen couldn’t even take advantage of his strategy to secure the fourth place, a feasible objective. Ultimately, he finished his race 27.2 seconds from the win and didn’t even manage to overtake Hamilton with his old engine. Were the parts of the #7 Ferrari also worn out? Unless the driver simply doesn’t like the circuit: not a single podium since his return to the Prancing Horse car in 2014. Either way, Räikkönen is at risk of quickly becoming the number 2 driver for the team, if that isn’t already the case.

Not much to say about this race… 🙄

🇨🇦 #CanadianGP has been always difficult for Kimi. Last podium position was in 2005.

💪🏻 We are stronger in the next races, let’s not give up. #Kimi7 #AllWithKimi7 #Ferrari #F1 pic.twitter.com/aZtm4m3OXp

— Kimi Räikkönen #7 (@FansOfKR) June 10

McLaren, a setback despite the evolution

The worst race of the season from a collective point of view. Like in Sakhir, the circuit configuration did not suit the MCL33. Struggling in slow corners according to Eric Boullier, the Woking car showed great difficulty throughout the weekend, as evidenced by the double elimination in Q2, more than three-tenths off the top 10. At least, the retirement due to an exhaust problem allows Alonso to switch earlier to his Le Mans mission. Nonetheless, McLaren did not make the most of the engine upgrade provided by Renault. We will have to wait for the French Grand Prix to see if McLaren’s troubles in Quebec are only temporary. It’s time to speed up: Renault increased the gap by ten additional points this weekend.