He had never won at the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit before, but held the race with a dominant and well-structured impetus for the big champions, including repelling a late charge from Ferrari runner-up Carlos Sainz. The victory has further extended Verstappen’s lead over rival Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who is third in the league at 49 points. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell secured third and fourth place for Mercedes with a performance that will be a real fill for the team. Third place tied Hamilton’s best result this season. The seven-time champion’s wide smile and the pleasure of taking a decent ride below him was palpable, clearly refreshed by the true feeling that he was part of the race. “I feel great today in the middle of the battle,” he said. “For a second I wanted to keep up with these kids up front. It gave me and the team a lot of hope that more will come from this car. ” There will be reason for optimism in Mercedes, as they showed an excellent racing rhythm, maintaining good contact with the era of Ferrari and Red Bull. They may even dare to dream of a battle for a victory in the next round at Silverstone. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen holds back Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz challenge. Photo: Canadian Press / Shutterstock However, it was Verstappen who showed on the pitch how difficult it will be to catch him this season. After a remarkable lap in wet conditions to claim the pole, she followed him with another masterclass of control from time to time under intense pressure. The 24-year-old who won the title in Abu Dhabi last year may have been embroiled in controversy, but there is simply no controversy with his credentials being world champion, then and most importantly, now. This is his sixth victory out of nine games this season and then he brought the relaxed demeanor of a man who is exactly where he wants to be. “I was clear, I was pushing to the extremes. “I knew I could make a mistake, the pressure was always strong,” he said. “It was a good fight, a good push. It was really on the sidelines and that was good to see. “ Verstappen has been helped by the Ferrari reliability problems that have plagued Leclerc recently. Here was a case where Leclerc did everything it could to minimize the damage from starting in 19th place after grid penalties for changing engines. This would always be a difficult afternoon and he returned to take fifth place. Not exactly what he would have hoped for, as Ferrari left him out for a long time behind Esteban Ocon. The Scuderia now need to give him a credible car with which to challenge and improve their decision-making if they want to start regaining the Verstappen lead. From the first moment, the world champion had shown his intention. Verstappen made a great start from the pole, chasing the threat from Fernando Alonso who was next to him in the front row, while Hamilton kept his fourth position. Sainz then cleared Alonso to take second place in the third round. Lewis Hamilton celebrates on the podium after finishing third in the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Photo: Geoff Robins / AFP / Getty Images Verstappen quickly opened the gap, three seconds away from Sainz in the eighth round. The pit stops followed an early virtual safety car when Sergio Pérez left the track after a gearbox problem in the ninth lap, with Verstappen and Hamilton stopping but Ferrari leaving Sainz out to take the lead. The fights resumed with Verstappen now behind Sainz and Alonso, but he quickly moved the latter to the 16th lap to claim second place, showing his commitment to fresh rubber with a series of faster laps. In a match that was dictated by his control, the flawless execution lap was vital and showed no stings on the armor. Sainz pitched under a second VSC and Verstappen regained the lead, the Dutchman already having an advantage, nine seconds away from Sainz in the 20th round. Verstappen was calm in front, reacting with rhythm every time the Spaniard came closer. He made his second stop in the 44th lap and Sainz is now leading with Ferrari trying to make a stop, nine seconds behind Verstappen. However, a safety car was called in lap 49 and Ferrari seized the opportunity for a free stop for Sainz, who came in second. Leave a sprint until the finish between the two in similar rubber. Quick guide
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Thank you for your response. Verstappen nailed the restart with 15 laps remaining and tried to regain power. Sainz refused to bow and remained within DRS range. He closed repeatedly but Verstappen kept his nerve and the perfect line. Sainz chased him hard, but the Dutchman was imposing to see the pressure to get the flag. The season still has a long way to go, but in Montreal Verstappen showed a form that sees him more than ready to disappear on the horizon. Catching him now will be an achievement. Alpine’s Ocon was sixth and Alonso’s teammate ninth. Valtteri Bottas and teammate Guanyu Zhou were seventh and eighth for Alfa Romeo and Lance Stroll was 10th for Aston Martin.
