Canadian Grand Prix: Top/Flop of the editorial team
Despite Max Verstappen's domination, the Canadian Grand Prix was highly eventful. Technical issues on Friday, weather conditions on Saturday, and intense battles during the race on Sunday. On this unique track, some drivers managed to shine while others struggled. Motors Inside presents its Top/Flop.
We experienced a weekend full of excitement as the weather and this unusual track played with the nerves of some teams, drivers, and even spectators.
In this unique context, some were able to stand out while others drowned, or nearly drowned.
TOP 3
- Fernando Alonso: the insatiable
- Alex Albon: A miracle behind the wheel of his Williams
- Gilles Villeneuve Circuit: an authentic track
Despite a difficult start for the Spanish driver, his race was generous and once again marked by a podium. By finishing second, he equals his best result achieved in Monaco a few weeks earlier.
This race, as solid as it is intense, allows him to consolidate his third place in the championship. He is only 9 points behind Sergio Perez, who is still in second place.
Even if his car doesn’t stand up to the ultimate weapon of 2023, which is the Red Bull, he once again proves that with talent and determination, one can achieve great results.
By the way, Fernando Alonso will have had the heart to complain about “lift and coast” during the race. Indeed, the fuel consumption of the F1 cars is measured in real-time. Excessive consumption could lead to not only a breakdown but also regulatory penalties. Since refueling is prohibited, each driver must monitor their fuel flow to ensure they reach the checkered flag. Therefore, during the race, they decelerate before the braking point in order to optimize this parameter.
What has had the gift of exasperating the double world champion. What he wishes now… is to fight for victory against Max Verstappen. We tell you, he is never satisfied!
Williams Racing: a rich history, but a small budget. The glorious moments of the team based in Grove are now distant.
Since the Monaco Grand Prix, the facts are even clearer: the development of English single-seaters is not as advanced as their competition. By observing the floors revealed in the principality when the cars were lifted due to breakdown or accident, everyone was able to compare these aerodynamic components, which are essential for the proper functioning of the ground effect. It is clear that the one on the Williams appears very simplistic compared to Red Bull and Mercedes, among others.
However, Alex Albon continues to outperform his rookie teammate, but especially against mid-table teams that are supposedly more performant. The Thai driver, who was brought in from the Austrian squad, proves the full extent of his talent by managing to qualify in Q3 against opponents driving a Ferrari, a Red Bull, or even an Alpine. Breathtaking!
Ninth off the grid, he managed the feat of finishing his race in seventh place. A long battle at the end of the race pitted him against a pack consisting of Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Valtteri Bottas. None of them, despite having fresher tires, were able to find an opening on Williams car No.23.
Alex Albon is also elected “Driver of the Day”, and it is well deserved. His superb performance is rightly rewarded.
Far from the modern layouts often soulless for both spectators and even pilots, the layout of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit has its own characteristics that make it unique and highly appreciated.
Despite the frequent disputes and challenges, it remains highly technical and demanding for both the drivers and the cars.
Moreover, its long straight line allows for many attacks approaching the last chicane. Approaching this famous chicane at almost 340km/h requires a perfect approach. Indeed, this chicane determines the following straight line towards the pit lane and above all… can throw you into the equally famous “Wall of Champions” if one is a little too optimistic or simply slightly distracted.
This famous wall will have embraced countless champions of the discipline, both in trials and in races.
This unique circuit has allowed us to witness a superb spectacle throughout the weekend. It is undeniably one of the pillars of the calendar, just like Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Silverstone, or Suzuka.
FLOP 3
- Sergio Perez: Completely drowned since Monaco
- Alpine: Disappointing performance
- George Russell: the Perez syndrome?
After a brilliant start to the 2023 campaign, Sergio Perez seems to be taking on water from all sides. Since his poorly digested second place in Miami, the Mexican driver is nothing but a shadow of his former self.
His mistake in qualifying in Monaco plunged him into a downward spiral of poor results. When we see how much his teammate dominates and doesn’t even leave crumbs for his opponents, it’s hard to understand how Perez can fall so low, especially for so many consecutive races. He now concedes a 69-point gap to the championship leader, which is almost equivalent to three wins. And this is only after eight races have been completed so far.
After another disaster in qualifying, the race result remains poor considering the car he has. A 6th place over fifty seconds behind the winner is unacceptable for someone who claims to be capable of becoming world champion.
Just to remind you, Max Verstappen had started 15th in Saudi Arabia to finish his race second, right behind Perez.
After the fabulous weekend in Monaco, marked by an excellent qualification and a podium finish for Ocon, the French team saw itself competing on equal terms with Mercedes in the next round in Barcelona.
It is clear that these two races did not bring the expected results, far from it…
The Alpine struggles to keep up with the pace in races and finds itself fighting in the midfield. The Mercedes are clearly ahead of the tricolor cars in pure performance. Aston Martin has regained some of its former glory, and Ferrari seems to have slightly regained the advantage.
Monaco, the heist of the year? Definitely not, as the team has shown a certain potential in each race. However, significant progress still needs to be made to catch up with the front of the chasing pack.
We naturally have high expectations for the young Englishman. On one hand, his last-minute replacement of Sir Lewis Hamilton for a race at the end of 2020 made us hope that he would be the new raw talent of His Majesty. But he also represents the future of the star company.
However, it must be noted that his seven-time world champion teammate is putting up a fight. Just like a fit Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton is still in search of an eighth title and is pushing young George Russell to his limits.
During the qualifying session, Russell is defeated by Hamilton, and during the race he struggles to keep up with the pace set by Alonso’s Aston Martin and his teammate. This is when he crashes his Mercedes into the wall, shattering the front wing and right rear wheel. Despite the violence of the impact, his W14 withstands it and will allow him, with a pit stop, to complete a few additional laps.
At the end of the race, just as he regains the points zone, he is forced to retire. Is Lewis Hamilton gaining the psychological upper hand over his garage neighbor?
