Entering the weekend on Canadian soil, we were greeted with an unforeseen scenario: frontrunners out of rhythm, surprise comebacks, and a rookie’s first taste of glory. As expected, teams like Mercedes and, at some point, Ferrari, capitalized on it and portrayed themselves as a real threat. And not for nothing. Let’s thoroughly unpack what went down on the Canadian Grand Prix, from free practices through qualifying and the race.
McLaren’s shaky start
McLaren, contrary to what we have been witnessing so far, began the weekend on the back foot. The current championship leader visibly struggled to find the pace, and although his teammate was capable of getting the most out of it, it was not enough.
While Max Verstappen and both Williams set the best times during FP1, both McLarens had what could be considered the worst results in practice so far. However, Lando Norris, after taking an upgraded suspension, was able to keep up slightly better and got in between the Mercedes, who topped the sheets in FP2. And so did Oscar Piastri, entering the Top 10 during the second practice.
By FP3, Norris was able to get P1 for the first time this weekend; however, Russell’s Mercedes was always close to him. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri stayed on his line, still struggling with pace as qualifying loomed.
Qualifying: tight margins, small errors
By the time qualifying was happening, Piastri was able to put it all together, which allowed him to set a lap time that positioned him in third place, just behind Verstappen. After seeing the Mercedes pace around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, it was no wonder to see George Russell set a brilliant lap that secured him the pole once again.
His rookie teammate, not far behind, set a lap that gave him the spot next to Piastri on the second row. As for Lando Norris, at some point, it seemed he would have been up there fighting for a pole, but a slight brush against the wall at the exit of Turn 7 cost him dearly, dropping to P7.
The race: strategy, the collision & late-race chaos
Following the results from qualifying, we had a clean start with Russell being able to keep Verstappen at bay and Antonelli securing a third spot after overtaking Piastri. From there on, it was all mainly about managing and timing perfectly the pit stops. While the four at the front managed, Norris was able to climb his way up until he caught up to his teammate, who was running in P4.
And then it was time to race.
Just as Norris was closing up on Piastri, Piastri was catching up to Antonelli, getting in his DRS too. Norris attempted to overtake, and he succeeded - but Piastri didn’t back off, resulting in probably the first wheel-to-wheel between the teammates. And it was a clean one.
Until a miscalculation from Norris’s side ended his race at lap 67 when he went for a gap that was probably not what he expected. Piastri was able to continue, albeit losing his chance for a podium. After the incident, the race ended in a Safety Car, a bit of a polemic between Russell and Verstappen at the front due to the Dutch overtaking after the Brit braked suddenly.
Ferrari, what is going on?
Now that we have dealt with the main characters of the weekend, it is appropriate to address the Ferrari situation. The Italian Scuderia came into the weekend with many rumours surrounding both drivers and their team principal. However, that didn’t stop them from once again reinforcing their trust in the team and their plan.
Charles Leclerc addressed such rumours and admitted being surprised by them:
“I’m very surprised. I mean, I have no idea from where it’s coming from [rumours about leaving Ferrari].”
“I keep saying how much I love the team and how much I want to bring back Ferrari to the top.”
During the Canadian GP seemed like Ferrari could have had better results, unfortunately, it couldn’t be. Hamilton was dealing with engine problems, while Leclerc seemed to have had a bit of miscommunication when it came to the pit stops and tyre choices.
All in all, the Canadian GP was a surprise to many, and probably a huge satisfaction for Mercedes, who got their first win of the season and their rookie Kimi Antonelli’s maiden podium in Formula 1. Now it’s time to regroup, analyse, and work on any improvements that can be made before Austria.