Canada: Flashback 2018 and Winner Predictions

2018 in broad strokes: the unexpected victory of Sebastian Vettel.

Six-time winner in Canada, Lewis Hamilton was already proclaimed victorious upon his arrival in Montreal last year. Unfortunately for the Briton, a poor qualifying performance placed him 4th on the grid. It was just what Sebastian Vettel needed to take pole position, beating Valtteri Bottas by only 93 thousandths.

At the start, the Ferrari driver easily maintains his advantage while the Finnish driver and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) battle for second place. However, the race is quickly neutralized following the spectacular collision between Lance Stroll (Williams) and Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso). The Canadian had suffered from oversteer approaching turn 5, while the New Zealander attempted an overtaking maneuver on the Williams ahead of him. The two drivers touch, resulting in the Toro Rosso taking off into the barriers. It almost flips 90 degrees and takes Stroll with it into the wall. Both retire on the first lap, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car.

On the restart on lap 4, Vettel was already pulling ahead of his pursuers. It didn’t take long for a second incident to occur. Battling for 9th place, Sergio Perez (Force India) attempted to overtake Carlos Sainz (Renault) on the outside at turn 1. His attempt was quickly shut down by the Spaniard, who, perhaps a bit too aggressive, didn’t leave enough space for the Force India. The Mexican driver touched the wheels of the Renault, sending him into the runoff area. With a magnificent drift, Perez returned to the track but further down the standings.

Despite all his efforts and goodwill, Max Verstappen could not find an opening on Valtteri Bottas. Meanwhile, Vettel was doing what he does best: managing his race. The German maintained his lead even after the flurry of pit stops. The Dutchman stopped on the 17th lap, thus covering Lewis Hamilton’s strategy. His garage neighbor, Daniel Ricciardo, followed suit the next lap and even managed to overtake the Mercedes bearing number 44.

Imperious throughout the race, Vettel secured his 50th career victory in Canada and his third in 2018. Bottas finished far behind, closely followed by Verstappen’s Red Bull. Ultimately, Hamilton finished the race in fifth position, thus leaving the championship lead to his German rival.

The Editorial Team’s Predictions

Often accurate in its predictions (well, almost…), the Motors Inside editorial team offers its forecasts for this Canadian Grand Prix. Unsurprisingly, Lewis Hamilton is the strong favorite for pole position but also for the victory. His teammate, Valtteri Bottas, is expected to remain on the podium, and according to some, the Ferraris have a card to play on the Canadian track. Verstappen is also mentioned as a potential podium contender.