Verstappen matches Senna’s record with victory
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen matched Ayrton Senna’s remarkable career record of 41 wins with a dominant performance at the Canadian Grand Prix. The triumph marked Verstappen’s sixth victory in the final eight races of the season, giving him a comfortable 69-point lead in the championship and also celebrating Red Bull’s 100th victory.
Fernando Alonso, who drives Aston Martin, showed his exceptional skills by overtaking Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to take a hard-fought second place. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started from 11th on the grid, showed a remarkable recovery to claim fourth place. Verstappen’s 9.5 second victory was the narrowest margin between Red Bull and another team this season, giving hope to their chasing rivals. However, it was clear that the 25-year-old Dutch rider was not pushed beyond his limits and could potentially have won by a greater margin.
Verstappen’s achievement of Senna’s career record at a much younger age than the legendary Brazilian highlights the dominant form of both Verstappen and the Red Bull team over the past two seasons. It also raises speculation about Verstappen’s future career statistics, as he is now behind only Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Hamilton in terms of wins. He could surpass Prost’s 51 wins and possibly even Vettel’s 54 this season depending on Verstappen’s dominance.
Starting from an impressive pole position in the wet conditions, where he was 1.2 seconds clear of the rest of the field, Verstappen turned his advantage into a commanding advantage at the first corner and maintained his position throughout the race. Meanwhile, a fierce battle unfolded between Hamilton and Alonso, the Spaniard eventually overtook the Mercedes driver.
Behind Alonso and Hamilton, the Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz showed a strong recovery after a difficult qualifying session. Opting for a one-stop strategy and running a long first lap on medium tyres, Ferrari’s tactics set Leclerc up to challenge for the final podium spot. Although Hamilton increased his pace to maintain control, Leclerc remained within striking distance but settled for a commendable fourth place. Sainz crossed the finish line fifth, followed by Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull in sixth.
