Verstappen clinches victory in a tumultuous Canadian GP as Alpine secures points and Ferrari faces a double retirement.
The Canadian Grand Prix qualifying session proved to be one of the most thrilling in recent years. As rain loomed, drivers navigated treacherously delicate but ultimately dry conditions until the very end.
George Russell clinched pole position, edging out Max Verstappen, with both drivers recording the exact same time down to the millisecond. This remarkable feat marks only the second occurrence in Formula 1 history, echoing the 1997 European GP in Jerez, where Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen also posted identical top times.
Behind the front-row duo, who are natural contenders for victory, the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took their places. In the third row, a surprising Daniel Ricciardo outpaced Fernando Alonso, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda, with Lance Stroll and Alex Albon rounding out the top 10.
Ferrari found themselves relegated to the sixth row, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz being ousted in Q2. They are ahead of Logan Sargeant, who achieved his best qualifying of the season, and Kevin Magnussen. Pierre Gasly is 15th, just ahead of Sergio Pérez, who missed his third consecutive Q3 and was eliminated in Q1.
Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Ocon line up on the ninth and last occupied row of the grid. Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou will start from the pit lane following a wing change to a different specification. It seems likely that Stake F1 is anticipating rain, which is expected.
Interviewed by journalist Adam Cooper, Alessandro Alunni Bravi admits the team is taking a gamble with added downforce: “This is our only chance to score points. It’s a big risk, but one we’re willing to take to score points.”
19:35: The likelihood of rain for the race is estimated at 80% by Météo France. A shower could hit the circuit just minutes before the start, which could disrupt the race’s normal progression.
19:43: Esteban Ocon’s Alpine suffers a wastegate issue, and the Frenchman may have to withdraw before the start.
19:47: The chance of rain at start time has reached 100%. A downpour is expected at 19:54 local time, lasting about 15 minutes.
19:55: It’s raining in Montreal, and race officials are yet to make a decision. Delay? Start behind the safety car? Normal start? A decision should be imminent.
19:58: All drivers, except for the Haas team who have opted for wet tyres, are on intermediates. They are clearly aiming to stay out unless a race interruption becomes necessary due to the ongoing rain.
19:59: Esteban Ocon is set to start!
20:00: The rain has temporarily eased, and a standard start is likely. However, another shower is approaching the circuit.
Start: Russell gets off to a strong start, maintaining the lead over Verstappen, with the two McLarens cautiously following behind. The field manages the initial corners without incident, though Pérez and Gasly have a touch.
Lap 1: Alonso and Hamilton overtake Ricciardo, and the Haas team excels in wet conditions, with Magnussen climbing to eighth. Hülkenberg is 12th.
Lap 2: Magnussen advances to seventh as Russell extends his lead by 2.4 seconds. Hülkenberg overtakes Tsunoda. Sainz drops another place to Sargeant. Magnussen is fifth, and Hülkenberg tenth.
Lap 3: Russell sets the fastest race lap at 1’36″556, with the top four unchanged. Magnussen moves to fifth past Alonso, and Hülkenberg to ninth past Stroll. Russell’s engineer informs him this is the worst of today’s rain.
Lap 4: Russell improves the race’s fastest lap to 1’36″396, which Magnussen then beats with 1’36″134. Hülkenberg moves up to eighth after passing Ricciardo. Sainz overtakes Sargeant for 14th place. No investigation into the contact between Pérez and Gasly at the start.
Lap 5: Russell leads with a 3-second margin over Verstappen, and 5.3 seconds ahead of Norris, recording the race’s fastest lap at 1’34″585. Magnussen, now fourth, sets a faster time at 1’33″993, followed by Piastri, Alonso, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Ricciardo, and Stroll. Leclerc is 11th, with Ferrari noting “something strange” with his engine. Tsunoda is ahead of Albon, Sainz, Sargeant, Ocon, Pérez, Gasly.
Lap 6: Verstappen sets a new fastest race lap at 1’33″859, and the Haas drivers begin to lose time! The crossover point is reached, and intermediate tyres are now faster than the wets. Sargeant triggers a yellow flag with an off-track excursion but manages to restart, albeit in last place.
Lap 7: Russell improves the fastest time to 1’32″899, quickly surpassed by Verstappen with a 1’32″634. The gap between the two is now 2.4 seconds. Hamilton overtakes Hülkenberg as sunshine now bathes the circuit, with Alonso and Hamilton duelling for sixth place.
Lap 8: Russell marks the fastest lap in the race at 1’30″974, and Magnussen pits to switch to intermediates, while Hülkenberg stays out. Could the German be considering a switch from wets to slicks?
Lap 9: Verstappen sets a new course record at 1’30″766, closing the gap to less than 1.5 seconds behind Russell. Magnussen rejoins on intermediates.
Lap 10: Russell sets a new fastest lap at 1’30″401, immediately bettered by Verstappen at 1’30″159, and then by Norris at 1’29″860. The gap between the two leaders is now 1.4 seconds, with Norris 8.6 seconds behind Verstappen. Leclerc complains about his inability to overtake with his troubled engine, and his team has no solutions to offer.
Lap 11: Russell quickens to 1’29″790, with Verstappen improving to 1’29″295. Norris closes in and is now less than 8 seconds behind Verstappen. Ricciardo is under investigation for a false start. Hülkenberg remains seventh and manages to stay ahead of the pack. Ricciardo eventually overtakes him.
Lap 12: Norris continues to be the fastest, setting a new best time at 1’28″032. Hülkenberg’s fortunes worsen as he loses a position to Stroll. Red Bull informs Verstappen of an impending 5-minute rain shower expected in about 15 laps. Ricciardo receives a 5-second penalty.
Lap 13: Verstappen closes to within half a second of Russell, with Norris 6.8 seconds behind the Dutchman. Piastri is 6.6 seconds back, and Alonso is 10 seconds behind, with Hamilton close behind. Hülkenberg finally pits. Mercedes confirms a rain shower expected in about 20 minutes, and Russell is concerned about tyre degradation. However, switching to slicks could be problematic if the rain returns.
Lap 14: Verstappen is tucked in behind Russell, benefiting Norris, who closes the gap to 5.3 seconds behind the Red Bull.
Lap 15: Norris sets a new fastest lap in the race at 1’26″857, closing nearly two seconds on the two leaders. Behind, Hamilton gives a bit of space to Alonso but shows that he’s matching the leaders’ pace.
Lap 16: Verstappen leads ahead of Verstappen and Norris, who is 3.4 seconds behind. Piastri follows in front of Alonso, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Stroll, Leclerc, and Tsunoda for the top 10. Albon is just behind ahead of Sainz, Magnussen, Ocon, Pérez, Gasly, Bottas, Zhou, Hülkenberg, and Sargeant.
Lap 17: Norris posts a new fastest lap at 1’26″553, now less than 2 seconds behind the two leaders. Rain is expected in about ten minutes. Verstappen makes a mistake in the first turn, giving Russell a 2.8-second lead! Norris takes advantage and closes to within eight-tenths of the Dutchman.
Lap 18: Now it’s Piastri flying on the track with a 1’26″412, and he’s back within 6.6 seconds of Norris. The latter remains stuck behind Verstappen, while Hamilton is still held up behind Alonso.
Lap 19: Russell’s lead is cut to just 1.8 seconds over Verstappen, who is still ahead of Norris, but DRS is now enabled! Piastri improves his best lap to 1’25″976.
Lap 20: Piastri sets a new fastest lap at 1’25″529, reducing the gap to 5.5 seconds. The rain is now expected at 20:40. Drivers can’t fully utilize DRS as the off-line is still wet, but Albon takes advantage to overtake Tsunoda and moves into tenth position. Norris overtakes Verstappen!
Lap 21: The Briton logs the fastest race lap at 1’25″473, quickly beaten by Piastri at 1’25″391, and then by Hamilton at 1’25″298. Russell still leads, but now only by half a second over Norris, who is a further eight-tenths ahead of Verstappen. Piastri is 5 seconds off Verstappen. Just a lap after passing Verstappen, Norris overtakes Russell who makes a mistake, allowing Verstappen to pass him as well!
Lap 22: Norris improves the fastest lap to 1’25″192, gaining a 2.3-second lead over Verstappen! Russell is 1.3 seconds behind the Red Bull, and Piastri is 2.9 seconds from the Mercedes.
Lap 23: Norris quickens to 1’24″429, extending his lead over Verstappen with a lap two seconds faster! Piastri closes to within one second of Russell. Gasly overtakes Pérez for 15th place.
Lap 24: Norris widens the gap to 5.6 seconds, and Verstappen has a 1.4-second cushion over Russell. Piastri is right behind the Mercedes. Alonso still resists Hamilton, who is desperately searching for an opening. Ricciardo, Stroll, Albon, and Tsunoda are in the top 10, followed by Leclerc and Sainz.
Lap 25: Norris flies on the track, extending his lead to over ten seconds over a struggling Verstappen! Russell and Piastri are close behind. However, Sargeant goes off track and the safety car is deployed! Norris’s lead is wiped out as he had just extended it by more than 4 seconds on that lap. Sargeant retires, with his car stuck and damaged on the track.
Lap 26: Norris stays out due to his strong pace, while Verstappen, Russell, and Piastri pit! Alonso and Hamilton also pit, and all drivers switch back to intermediates as it’s still raining! Ricciardo and Tsunoda do not pit, like Ocon. All other drivers make pit stops.
Lap 27: And Norris pits a lap later, rejoining third behind Verstappen, who retakes the lead, and Russell. Piastri remains fourth ahead of Hamilton. Alonso, Ricciardo, Tsunoda, Stroll, and Ocon follow in the top 10. Ricciardo also pits a lap late.
Lap 28: Norris was too far ahead to pit when the safety car was deployed, and Verstappen’s engineer jokes about it: “It’s payback from Miami.” In Florida, Norris had benefitted from very good pit stop timing. And the rain returns!
Lap 29: Leclerc switches to slicks and rejoins after a long wait in the pits to reset his steering wheel. The safety car is about to return to the pits!
Lap 30: Racing resumes! Verstappen maintains the lead but can’t pull away from Russell, who sticks close, eager to capitalize on DRS. Norris is over a second behind Russell. Ricciardo is passed by Ocon and Albon. Leclerc is slow on the track, and his team informs him there are only two laps of rain left, but it seems unlikely to hold. His engine issue is resolved.
Lap 31: DRS is enabled then immediately disabled, and Leclerc loses 15 seconds per lap. At the front, Verstappen has a 1.5-second lead over Russell, who has the same margin over Norris. Piastri is 1.1 seconds behind, and Hamilton, having passed Alonso, is right behind. Tsunoda is seventh after overtaking Stroll.
Lap 32: The gaps at the front stabilize, and a replay shows Albon making an exceptional double pass. Leclerc pits again for intermediates.
Lap 33: Lap times begin to slow, indicating the track is getting wetter. Sainz clips Bottas and breaks his front wing, compounding Ferrari’s difficult day. Gasly overtakes Pérez for 15th place. Pérez’s struggles continue.
Lap 34: The rain eases again, and Verstappen maintains a 1.1-second lead over Russell. Norris is 1.4 seconds behind the Mercedes, and Piastri is less than a second behind his teammate
. Hamilton follows this group, unlike Alonso who is 4 seconds behind Hamilton. Tsunoda is 1.5 seconds behind the Spaniard on his original intermediates.
Lap 35: The mid-race point is reached after 55 minutes of racing. Gasly overtakes Magnussen.
Lap 36: Verstappen holds a 1.4-second lead over Russell, with the same gap between Russell and Norris, and between the two McLarens. Hamilton is now less than half a second behind the second McLaren.
Lap 37: Verstappen extends his lead to 2.6 seconds over Russell, and the latter sees the McLarens closing in. Pérez overtakes Magnussen to move into 15th position…
Lap 38: Verstappen maintains a 2.6-second lead, with Norris trailing by 1.2 seconds. Gaps remain stable within the top 5, and Alonso falls behind by 7.9 seconds.
Lap 40: DRS is re-enabled, and within the top 5, Hamilton could benefit as he is just three-tenths behind Piastri.
Lap 41: Times among the leaders improve, with Hamilton clocking the best lap at 1’23″880. The top five are now separated by just 5.5 seconds. Gasly pits to switch to slicks and rejoins in 18th place.
Lap 42: Russell sets a new fastest lap at 1’23″783, but trails Verstappen by 3.9 seconds, with Norris closing in. Russell makes a mistake but manages to hold third place. Magnussen also pits to switch to medium tires, but considering Gasly’s times, it seems premature.
Lap 43: Verstappen extends his lead to 4 seconds over Russell, who is losing pace. Bottas pits while Leclerc retires from the race.
Lap 44: Norris records the fastest lap at 1’23″671, right after Russell had done so. Hamilton, along with Ricciardo, Sainz, and Pérez, makes a pit stop. Norris is under investigation by the stewards for potentially gaining an advantage during his exit.
Lap 45: Piastri pits, while the leading trio stays out. Verstappen’s lead diminishes to 3.3 seconds. Alonso, Tsunoda, Stroll, Ocon, Albon, and Hülkenberg also pit, as Gasly laps faster than the leaders! Most rejoin on medium tires, except Alonso and Stroll who choose hard tires like Gasly.
Lap 46: Verstappen and Russell pit, Norris stays out an extra lap attempting an overcut on Russell as he was lapping faster! He sets the fastest lap at 1’23″569! Gasly is even quicker, recording a 1’23″452. Norris is further investigated for the time gained during his exit.
Lap 47: Norris remains out with a new fastest lap of 1’23″272. McLaren can’t keep him out too long! Verstappen leads ahead of Russell, Piastri, Hamilton, Alonso, Tsunoda, Stroll, Ocon, and Albon in the top 10.
Lap 48: After a two-lap overcut, Norris pits and rejoins second behind Verstappen after a slight skid but manages to overtake Russell! He is second ahead of the Mercedes and Piastri, who is close behind. Russell immediately challenges Norris, especially since the McLaren’s tires are very cold, but can’t manage to overtake in the third sector.
Lap 49: Verstappen sets a new course record at 1’20″470, beaten by Hamilton with 1’19″502! The Briton is flying but makes a mistake and loses three seconds. Russell finally manages to pass Norris thanks to warmer tires.
Lap 50: Verstappen posts the best time at 1’19″401, beaten by Russell with 1’19″359.
Lap 51: Russell makes a mistake, and Norris takes advantage to overtake!
Lap 52: Verstappen records the fastest lap at 1’18″109, surpassed by Hamilton with 1’18″018.
Lap 53: Verstappen sets a new fastest lap at 1’17″905, and Norris is even quicker with 1’17″631. The gap between the two is 5.4 seconds, while Russell is now 2.1 seconds from Norris and under threat from Piastri. Hamilton is 4 seconds back. Meanwhile, Pérez crashes into the wall! He slows with a broken rear wing and retires. The race turns chaotic as Sainz and Albon collide! The safety car is deployed.
Lap 54: Verstappen logs the fastest lap at 1’17″251, but the race is neutralized. Albon retires, and Sainz continues at a slow pace. It was Sainz who spun and collided with Albon.
Lap 55: Russell and Hamilton pit! The Mercedes team takes advantage of the break to switch to new tires, mediums for Russell and hards for Hamilton. Sainz returns to the pits to retire.
Lap 56: Verstappen leads ahead of Norris, Piastri, Russell, Hamilton, Alonso, Stroll, Tsunoda, Ocon, and Ricciardo. Gasly is 11th followed by Hülkenberg, Bottas, Magnussen, and Zhou.
Lap 58: The race is set to resume with 12 laps remaining in this intense contest!
Lap 59: Verstappen immediately pulls away from Norris, creating a 1.7-second gap in the first lap, while Piastri closely follows his team leader! The Mercedes also stick close to the McLarens.
Lap 60: Verstappen’s lead grows to two seconds, and the three behind him are within the DRS zone of the preceding driver. Hamilton slightly lags behind. Magnussen makes a mistake at the opposite chicane.
Lap 61: Norris logs the fastest lap at 1’17″236, and Russell improves it to 1’17″103. Verstappen’s lead, which had dipped below two seconds, is extended again. Ocon overtakes Tsunoda for eighth place.
Lap 62: Verstappen sets the fastest lap of the race at 1’16″625, not significantly extending his lead over Norris, Piastri, and Russell. Hamilton is 1.2 seconds behind his teammate, and Alonso is dropping back by 3 seconds. Russell attempts to overtake Piastri but the Australian holds firm at the chicane!
Lap 63: Verstappen further speeds up to 1’16″318, widening his lead to 2.2 seconds over Norris. Piastri is one second behind his teammate and manages to keep Russell at bay. Piastri and Russell make contact, and Hamilton takes advantage to pass his teammate!
Lap 64: Verstappen continues to extend his gap, setting a time of 1’15″983, with Norris 2.7 seconds behind. Piastri is 2.2 seconds back, and Hamilton is right behind him.
Lap 65: Verstappen sets another fastest lap at 1’15″830, increasing his lead to 3 seconds. Hamilton, showing aggressive moves behind Piastri, accomplishes what Russell couldn’t by taking third place!
Lap 66: Hamilton sets the best lap at 1’15″074, pushing Piastri more than a second behind him at the start of the lap. The gap at the front remains 3 seconds. Russell finally gets past Piastri. Tsunoda makes a mistake and falls in the rankings, nearly colliding with Hülkenberg’s car.
Lap 67: Verstappen maintains a 3-second lead over Norris, who has 2.4 seconds on Hamilton. Russell is just seven-tenths behind his teammate, and Piastri drops back to 2.4 seconds behind.
Lap 68: With less than three laps left, Verstappen appears set for victory with a 3.3-second lead over Norris. The Mercedes drivers are less than two seconds behind the McLaren, and Russell overtakes Hamilton for third place! Mercedes has told its drivers they are free to race as long as they keep it clean.
Lap 69: Ocon loses two places to Ricciardo and Gasly, dropping to tenth. Hamilton remains close behind, ready to make a move in the final lap?
Final lap: Verstappen’s lead holds steady at 3.5 seconds as the Dutchman cruises towards victory. Russell uses DRS from Norris in the final straight to fend off any attacks from Hamilton.
Finish: Verstappen wins after a wildly strategic race, securing another victory with smart management. Norris finishes second followed by Russell and Hamilton, who sets the fastest lap of the race at 1’14″856 on the final lap. Piastri takes fifth, Alonso sixth, and Stroll seventh. Ricciardo earns the 4 points for eighth place, while the two Alpine drivers, Gasly and Ocon, also score points. Hülkenberg and Magnussen finish just outside the points, ahead of Bottas, Tsunoda, and Zhou.
| 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix – Race Results | ||||
| Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 70 laps |
| 2 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | +3.879s |
| 3 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | +4.317s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | +4.915s |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren F1 Team | +10.199s |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | +17.510s |
| 7 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | +23.625s |
| 8 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | +28.672s |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | +30.021s |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | +30.313s |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | +30.824s |
| 12 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | +31.253s |
| 13 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | +40.487s |
| 14 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | +52.694s |
| 15 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | + 1 lap |
| DNF | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Scuderia Ferrari | 56 laps |
| DNF | Alex Albon | THA | Williams Racing | 54 laps |
| DNF | Sergio Perez | MEX | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 54 laps |
| DNF | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari | 43 laps |
| DNF | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Racing | 23 laps |
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