Verstappen responds in Canada – win ahead of Norris

The race has completely bypassed Ferrari. Carlos Sainz and Monaco winner Charles Leclerc were eliminated early after falling behind. Just after half-time, Leclerc was already spun. Sergio Perez was also forced to retire after colliding with the back of his Red Bull.

However, his teammate had reason to celebrate again after finishing sixth in Monte Carlo. World champion Verstappen said: “It was a very crazy race and a lot happened in it and we had to be careful in our decisions.” “You need that kind of racing every now and then. It was a lot of fun out there.” Norris described the Grand Prix as “chaotic” and “eventful”. “I felt like I had a good race from start to finish. I had amazing speed,” said the Briton, who ended up 3.8 seconds behind Verstappen.

The start was already on a wet track, and the rain intensified in the first four laps. As the Haas cars of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg were the only ones equipped with rain tyres, they made their way through the field at this point. On lap four, Magnussen was fourth behind Russell, Verstappen and Norris, with Hulkenberg wandering around in eighth. Then the rain stopped temporarily and the track dried up.

Verstappen was unable to outpace Russell for long – also because of the short ride which cost almost two seconds. Instead, Norris passed him on lap 21 with DRS support and also caught Russell at the end of the lap. In the same scene, Verstappen also overtook the Mercedes man and finished second again. Norris was ready for action – but only until lap 25, when the safety car rolled out onto Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to rescue Logan Sargeant's Williams.

While Verstappen and Russell immediately went to the pits to change tyres, Norris had already passed the pit entrance and exited behind them after his late forced stop. After that, Verstappen – unfazed by another downpour – took control of the race. After another round of stops, third-placed Norris effectively gained a position by returning to second place behind the world champion. In the end, Russell also lost third place after another safety car phase, but regained it to Hamilton.

“To be honest, it feels like a missed opportunity,” the Briton said afterwards. “We had a good pace at the start on the medium tires but we made some mistakes when we pushed to the limit. Coming back and fighting for victory is what Formula 1 is all about. We will take everything positive from this race, the podium, the pole.”

Team boss Toto Wolff said second place was inside. Russell's speed was high before the second safety car arrived, and then he made a driving error. “Maybe it was a dream for a few minutes that this was possible, but then it ended again,” the Vienna player told ServusTV. “The drivers did a great job, but on the other hand you're wasting some time.”

Before the Spanish Grand Prix in Montmelo on June 23, Verstappen was already 56 points ahead of Leclerc in the world championship standings. Norris ranks third, 63 points behind the leaders. Russell and Hamilton are ranked seventh and eighth respectively in the standings.