F1 Canadian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen Wins Dramatic Montreal Race, Double DNF for Ferrari

Max Verstappen won in a thrilling, chaotic, rain-soaked F1 Canadian Grand Prix. The race, marked by two Safety Cars and numerous lead changes, saw the Red Bull driver secure his sixth win of the 2024 season.  Lando Norris and George Russell put up a good fight, claiming second and third place respectively. Lewis Hamilton, after a close battle with his teammate Russell, just missed out on the podium finish, settling for fourth. Rounding out the top ten were Oscar Piastri, followed by the Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Daniel Ricciardo managed an eighth-place finish for Red Bull, while Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon secured valuable points for Alpine by grabbing ninth and tenth place.

George Russell capitalised on his pole position to lead the pack in the wet conditions. While rain often shakes things up, Russell managed to fend off championship leader Max Verstappen. Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo's strong qualifying performance went south quickly. Not only did he lose positions to Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, dropping from fifth to eighth, but he also received a five-second penalty for a jump start, adding insult to injury.

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F1 Canadian Grand Prix: Race Result

Kevin Magnussen capitalised on a strategic gamble in the opening laps of the Canadian Grand Prix. Starting a lowly 14th on full-wet tyres, he took advantage of the downpour to carve his way through the field. By lap three, he had impressively climbed to fifth position, even setting a string of fastest laps. Unfortunately, his progress was halted by a slow pit stop for intermediate tyres on lap eight, dropping him back significantly.

Meanwhile, a fierce battle for the lead unfolded between George Russell and Max Verstappen, with Lando Norris lurking close behind. The race became a strategic chess match as the track transitioned from wet to dry. Drivers were forced to make split-second decisions on pit stops, with multiple safety car deployments further complicating matters.  Norris eventually managed to overtake Verstappen for second on lap 20, but the strategic battle continued as the track dried further.

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As the race progressed, Verstappen emerged as the frontrunner, pulling away after the final safety car period. He capitalised on a well-timed pit stop and drove flawlessly to secure a dominant 3.8-second victory. The battle for the remaining podium positions was equally thrilling, with Russell holding off a determined Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps. Ferrari, however, endured a disastrous race. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were struck by misfortune, with Leclerc retiring due to engine problems and Sainz crashing out altogether.