By Joe Murphy
You have to feel, this race gave us a sign of things to come over the coming weeks. Lando Norris failed to convert his sensational pole from Saturday into victory on Sunday, with Max Verstappen able to overcome the odds and take the win. It wasn’t without it’s hassle, however.
In fact, despite the Brit in the McLaren and Dutchman in the Red Bull starting on the front row, it was neither who went into the first corner as leader. A sensational start from George Russell in his Mercedes saw him move around the outside of the pair of them and use his momentum to take the lead of the race. He had already leapfrogged his teammate after a poor getaway for Lewis Hamilton.
In the drama, Max had capitalised and snuck passed Lando. It was now a case of getting George. And he did so with relative ease after a few laps out front, the Red Bull coasted by and into the lead. Unfortunately for fans of McLaren, Lando Norris took a bit longer to clear the fellow Brit. This would ultimately come back to cost him later in the race.
Without a single yellow flag, let alone a Safety Car, all the battles were won or lost instead in the pits. An extended first stint from Lando meant he had the lead again, but came out eight seconds behind Verstappen but with six laps fresher medium compound tyres. Therefore, the gaps closed. Behind, Mercedes were in a race with each other for third and fourth, just about able to keep the Ferrari pair at arms length in this middle part of the race. Sauber, RB and Williams also endured nightmare races, whilst a series of unfortunate events scuppered both Kevin Magnussen and Fernando Alonso’s races.
The final round of stops were almost identical. Mercedes were ahead of Ferrari after the round of pits and Lando was yet again eight seconds behind Verstappen but with the gap closing. Like in Imola, he ran out of laps.
Verstappen stumbled over the line, a mere two seconds ahead of Lando in P2. The Dutchman had indicated earlier this weekend that the era of Red Bull dominance was over. He had in fact won the race, but this was far from the Grand Slam victory of twelve months prior at this venue.
A switch to the soft tyre rather than the hard compound meant Lewis Hamilton was able to reverse the outcome of Canada and take his first podium of the season and the 198th of his career ahead for his teammate, who himself only held off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by three tenths. Points for Perez in eighth capped off yet another miserable weekend fit the Mexican, as he crossed the line around a minute off his teammate at the front. Ever since that contract extension was confirmed, it’s been a torrid time for Checo.
Furthermore, Piastri, Gasly and Ocon completed the top ten, with the traditional eleventh place finish for Nico Hulkenberg also coming to fruition yet again.
Verstappen and Norris are the form drivers at the moment, of that there is no doubt. You can expect these two to tussle for wins in the upcoming home races of both Red Bull and Lando himself as the calendar ticks over into July. For now, Max appears to have the edge. However, Lando is at least showing he has the credentials to really put a strong and sustained title challenge. If this remains the case, then next year could be very interesting. For 2024 outright, it seems Max has it covered. Although these next couple of races will determine whether or not the Dutchman will have it all his own way, as he bids to make it four in a row.
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