George Russell, from Mercedes AMG F1 W15, took the lead at the beginning of the race. The Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix was an exciting and unpredictable event, with variable weather conditions adding excitement. Max Verstappen emerged as the winner, but faced strong competition from Lando Norris from McLaren and George Russell from Mercedes, who showed impressive speed throughout the race. However, it was Verstappen who managed to overcome the challenges and secure his 60th victory in the GP.
Verstappen’s performance was not flawless, as he faced pressure from Norris and Russell and even went off track at turn 1. However, he demonstrated his skill and determination in overcoming these obstacles and crossing the finish line in first place. The race was especially challenging due to the constantly changing track conditions, making it difficult to choose the right tires. Despite these difficulties, Verstappen showed his expertise and earned a well-deserved victory.
On the other hand, Sergio Perez from Red Bull had a disappointing race. After recently signing a two-year contract extension, Perez failed to advance from Q1 in qualifying for the second consecutive race. Starting from 16th on the grid, Perez faced the difficult task of navigating through rain and chaos at the start of the race. Although he managed to avoid incidents early on, he soon found himself involved in a collision with Pierre Gasly from Alpine. This incident set the tone for Perez’s afternoon, and things only got worse when he hit the wall at turn 6, resulting in a damaged rear wing and retirement from the race.
To make matters worse for Perez, the Race Stewards applied a three-grid penalty for the next race in Barcelona and imposed a €25,000 fine for driving with a significantly damaged car. It has been a challenging period for Perez, who needs to regain his form from the beginning of the season to support Red Bull’s championship aspirations.
Grid position: 3rd position, Race position: 2nd position
The fact that Norris is not satisfied with second place and considers first place as McLaren’s goal demonstrates the significant progress he and the team have made recently. In fact, before the first Safety Car intervention, Norris displayed exceptional speed by overtaking Russell and Verstappen and establishing a nearly eight-second lead. Unfortunately, Norris was unable to regain the lead after making a pit stop following the first Safety Car and lamented the lack of pace during his second stint on intermediate tires, which cost him the victory. When Russell made a pit stop after the second Safety Car, Norris moved up to second place, but was unable to keep up with Verstappen in the final laps. After securing his first win in Miami and coming close in Imola and Montreal, it would be hard to bet against Norris claiming a second victory in the Grand Prix before the end of the season.
Grid position: 4th position, Race position: 5th position
Oscar Piastri didn’t have the speed to keep up with his teammate and found himself as a somewhat distant observer of the battle for victory among the top three. However, the Australian driver is far from being below expectations and showed his skills as a valuable member of the McLaren team. In the final stretch of the race, after the second Safety Car, there wasn’t much that the F1 rookie could do, as both Mercedes drivers overtook him after making pit stops to change to new tires. Piastri continues to impress, and his progress suggests that soon he will reach Norris’ level.
Grid position: 1st place, Race position: 3rd place
What could have been for Russell if it weren’t for some overly aggressive moments? The Mercedes driver made history with Verstappen when they both set identical times in Q3 during Saturday’s qualifying session, with Russell ultimately securing the pole position for Sunday’s race. Russell led from the start and did a commendable job of holding his position before gradually losing ground at the end of the first stint, allowing Norris and Verstappen to overtake him. As the track dried and the drivers switched to slick tires, Russell fought back to second place, but a mistake in turn 8 allowed Norris to regain the position. When the second Safety Car came in, Russell decided to change his position on the track and switch to hard tires instead of mediums. A rushed move similar to Piastri at the final chicane interrupted his final push, leaving him in third place. However, Russell’s excellent pole position and pace demonstrated his best qualities.
Grid position: 7th place, Race position: 4th place
Hamilton’s difficulties in translating his pace in practice into a qualifying performance continued in Canada. The seven-time champion stood out in FP3, surpassing the rest of the grid by a margin of 0.374 seconds. However, when it came to qualifying, Hamilton felt that his pace had “disappeared” and, while Russell secured pole position, Hamilton could only manage seventh on the grid. “Grip just disappears for me,” he explained on Saturday. Hamilton made progress on Sunday and engaged in a lengthy battle with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, finishing fifth before the second Safety Car. A switch to new hard tires during the caution period gave Hamilton the motivation to fight for a podium position towards the end of the race, but he was ultimately beaten by his teammate when the race concluded. “Just one of the worst races I’ve ever done,” Hamilton commented on Sunday. “Lots of mistakes, but of course, if I had qualified better, I would be in a much better position, so it is what it is. I’ll go back to the drawing board.” That sums it up.
Grid position: Sixth, Race position: Sixth
After disappointing performances in Imola and Monaco, Alonso returned to his qualifying form early in the season by securing sixth on the grid, just two tenths behind pole position. The Spaniard then climbed to fifth at the start of the race and engaged in a lengthy battle with his old rival Hamilton. Although the Aston Martin did not have the same pace as the Mercedes today, Alonso pushed his car to the limit on Sunday and secured valuable points for the Silverstone-based team.
Grid position: Ninth, Race position: Seventh
Lance Stroll was unable to replicate Alonso’s achievements in qualifying, but his ninth place on the grid was a respectable result in front of his home crowd. Known for his skills in mixed conditions, Stroll had a clean race and remained calm while others struggled. Although not extraordinary, his competent performance allowed Aston Martin to accumulate a decent amount of points.
Grid position: Fifth, Race position: Eighth
If there was a driver who epitomized the saying “form is temporary, class is permanent,” it would be Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian silenced his critics, especially Jacques Villeneuve, by qualifying an impressive fifth on the grid, just two tenths behind pole position. Unfortunately, his hard work on Saturday was slightly hindered by a premature start at the beginning of the race, resulting in a five-second penalty. However, Ricciardo managed to overcome this setback and fought his way back into the top-10 as the track dried. It seems the “Honey Badger” is on the path to fully awaken from his slumber.
Grid position: Eighth, Race position: Fourteenth
As has become customary, Yuki Tsunoda secured a spot in Q3 during Saturday’s qualifying session, starting the race in eighth position. The Japanese driver has consistently impressed lately and seemed poised to earn more points until spinning at the chicane of turns 8/9, dropping out of contention and finishing in fourteenth place. “Today was my mistake, a foolish move, and I apologize to the team,” Tsunoda admitted after the race. Based on his previous performances, this setback in Canada is likely just a temporary hiccup in Tsunoda’s promising 2024 season.
Grid position: 15th, Race position: 9th
Pierre Gasly conquered two consecutive races scoring on Sunday, after a 15th place in qualifying and a ninth place in the Grand Prix. The French driver is maximizing the potential of the Alpine package, which is still not competitive. Despite challenging conditions in Montreal, Gasly managed to climb six positions in the order. Although team orders helped him overtake Esteban Ocon in the final laps, and he had contact with Perez early on that could have ended his race earlier, Gasly earned two valuable points for Alpine.
Grid position: 18th, Race position: 10th
Ocon’s actions in Monaco raised doubts about his position in the Alpine team (and led to an announcement that he will not continue with the team next season). He also received a five-place grid penalty, which put him at the back of the order. However, due to a double pit stop at Sauber, he managed to start in 18th position on Sunday. Despite the setback, Ocon performed well and found himself in the top-10 at the end of the race. However, he was frustrated when instructed by his team to make way for Gasly to chase Ricciardo. Despite Gasly’s inability to challenge the Red Bull driver, Alpine held their positions, leaving Ocon dissatisfied with his tenth place.
Grid position: 17th, Race position: 11th
Nico Hulkenberg’s usually strong performance in qualifying was hindered by a high aerodynamic pressure setup on his car to solve aerodynamic issues. Starting on wet tires, Hulkenberg struggled with his problems throughout the race, but managed to climb to 11th position. As an experienced Formula 1 driver, the German came close to securing a valuable point for Haas, a team that will no longer have his services in 2025.
Grid position: 14th, Race position: 12th
Kevin Magnussen, along with his teammate, was one of only two drivers to start the race on wet tires. He took advantage of the extra grip and skillfully overtook drivers on intermediate tires, climbing to an impressive fourth position. However, a poorly executed pit stop due to changing conditions forced Magnussen to work hard for the remainder of the race. Like Hulkenberg, he drove well and was close to scoring points.
Sauber remains the only Formula 1 team that has not scored points due to the below-par performance of their car. Valtteri Bottas, despite limited capabilities with his car, came close to qualifying for Q2. However, his efforts were hindered by the team’s decision to make changes to the power unit and wing under parc fermé regulations. Nevertheless, Bottas managed to have a clean race from the pit lane and finished in 13th place. Although the Sauber car has its limitations, Bottas proves to be a reliable asset for the Hinwil-based team.
Zhou Guanyu faced several challenges in practice, resulting in a lack of preparation to match his teammate’s performance in qualifying. The changes made under Parc Fermé had little impact on the Chinese driver’s last place finish on Saturday. However, Zhou’s ability to avoid accidents and keep his car on track was his saving grace during the weekend.
Carlos Sainz encountered a strategic error during qualifying, preventing him from advancing to the top 10 battle and leading to a disappointing Sunday afternoon. The Spaniard’s problems continued when he suffered floor damage after colliding with Bottas. His race came to an end when he spun off track at the chicane of turns 6/7, collecting Alex Albon in the process.
Charles Leclerc had a similar fate to his teammate during qualifying, and his problems persisted throughout the race. From the start, Leclerc faced issues with the power unit, which required a pit stop for a reset. Interestingly, Ferrari took a gamble by switching to hard tires as soon as the second rain arrived. Unfortunately, a few laps later, the team decided to retire the winner of the Monaco GP due to unfavorable conditions.
Albon continues to deliver impressive performances whenever Williams needs him. Qualifying for Q3 among the top 10 for the second consecutive race, the Anglo-Thai driver remained competitive throughout the race. He pulled off a remarkable double overtake on Ricciardo and Ocon on the back straight after the first Safety Car. However, Albon’s progress was suddenly halted on lap 54, when he couldn’t avoid Sainz’s spinning car. In Albon’s words, “the points were within reach,” and he showed an admirable performance to keep Williams in contention until his unfortunate retirement.
Logan Sargeant, who still does not have the updated floor introduced in Albon’s car in Imola, managed to qualify in 13th place, which was a commendable feat. However, Sargeant’s lack of experience and inconsistency became evident during the race. Two mistakes at the start made him fall behind the rest of the pack, and ultimately, he crashed on lap 25. With doubts about his future, Sargeant unfortunately did little to improve his prospects in Montreal.
© 2024
The football star Cristiano Ronaldo made a shocking statement during a recent interview. The Portuguese player, who currently plays for Manchester United, revealed that he is considering retiring from football soon. Ronaldo, 38, said he feels he has already achieved everything he wanted in the sport and is thinking of dedicating himself to other projects off the field.
“I love football and always will. But there comes a time in life when you need to make tough decisions. I feel like I have achieved everything I wanted in football and now I am thinking of retiring,” Ronaldo said.
This news caught fans by surprise, as Ronaldo is one of the most talented and successful players in football history. He has won numerous titles and awards throughout his career, including the FIFA Best Player in the World award five times.
Ronaldo also talked about his plans for the future. He revealed he is interested in investing in sports-related businesses, such as football academies and talent agencies. Additionally, he is considering becoming a coach or sports commentator.
“I have a lot of experience in football and believe I can contribute in other ways. I want to share my knowledge and help the next generation of players achieve success,” the player stated.
Despite his possible retirement, Ronaldo still has a few years left on his contract with Manchester United. He said he is committed to giving his best for the club and helping the team win titles.
“I still have a lot to offer as a player and want to help Manchester United become champions again. I will continue working hard and giving my best in every match,” Ronaldo declared.
Football fans will certainly miss seeing Ronaldo on the field, but everyone wishes him success in his future endeavors. The player left an impressive legacy and will always be remembered as one of the greatest in the history of the sport.
