Martin Brundle on the Canadian Grand Prix results

Former Formula 1 driver, Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle summed up the Canadian Grand Prix…

At first glance we saw in Canada another example of the dominance of Verstappen and Red Bull. In terms of career wins, Max equaled Ayrton Senna, Red Bull’s 100th Formula 1 win – remarkable numbers given their relatively short spell in Formula 1’s 73-year history.

The podium this weekend was stunning – the three great champions: Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen were joined by Adrian Newey, for whom this victory was the 200th for the Williams, McLaren, Red Bull and Toro Rosso cars to compete with his participation. were built.

The only real problem Verstappen had was a bird he hit and got stuck next to the brake cooling duct and hit a nasty curb that George Russell had earlier thrown off the track, which he laughed about on the radio and said he almost made it knocked out of wax. tracks. Max is in top form, he is doing well.

The job in Montreal has several difficulties. It’s smooth, bumpy, sometimes fast, with walls and high curbs. And the weather contributes to these difficulties.

During qualifying the track conditions changed, it was wet or almost dry. In the second session there was a brief opportunity to do a few laps on slicks, which were used by Alex Albon in Williams and several other racers, but Sergio Perez in Red Bull and Charles Leclerc in Ferrari simply didn’t have time – and in the end they failed to make it to the final.

This is a good reminder for those who want to ditch the F1 thermal covers and warm up the tires directly on the cars. If this happens, we will not see such surprises. Nobody dares to drive on cold slicks in such conditions, both in qualifying and in the race, so as not to risk an accident.

There are better ways to protect the environment than filling Formula 1 cars with extra fuel for a few laps to warm up, rather than using out-of-the-box and highly effective thermal covers that only heat the tire and wheel.

As the weekend progressed, the stewards became as busy as the riders and considered blocking fines and other violations. I always sympathize with the drivers in such circumstances – trying to keep the car away from the walls and find good speed in every braking zone, while at the same time watching the rivals’ cars in tiny mirrors in a blur of spray is no simple task.

Pierre Gasly was angry with Carlos Sainz for blocking him from qualifying for the first part of qualifying, and the Ferrari driver criticized the Frenchman for overly emotional comments on the team radio.

The stewards strictly adhered to the rules. I communicate with them often and I know that they have complete information to justify their decisions, in which there is nothing arbitrary. But as in any court system, the decision remains with the person.

In the race, Lando Norris received a five-second penalty for falling behind the safety car behind his teammate Oscar Piastri for a double pit stop. I was sure there was a clear rule in this regard so that the rider could not penalize anyone riding behind, but the stewards had to use the rare language of “unsportsmanlike conduct” to punish him.

Even rival team managers told me after the race that for several years in a row it was normal and accepted behavior to create a small gap behind the safety car for the double pit stop of riders from the same team, which was in fact Lando’s. starting point.

Every sport needs clear rules and a reliable referee or chaos and anarchy quickly ensue, but I can’t help feeling that our ever-evolving and highly complex rules need to be put in order, adding rationality.

So is Nico Hulkenberg, who lost his front row position behind the wheel of the Haas F1 due to falling into the “mini sector” when judging his speed under red flags, which just helped him to finish second place on the grid while others had to give up the fast lap.

The footage from the camera on his car shows that he acted very carefully and reasonably, but he broke the rules, and to maintain the continuity of punishments, sanctions must be applied even with extenuating circumstances. The stewards just did their job.

At the start Hamilton overtook Alonso, they both struggled to hold on to Verstappen. Russell, in a second Mercedes, was fourth, one line behind Hulkenberg’s Haas, who returned to his normal form on dry land.

When Russell hit the wall on lap 12, 13 of the remaining 19 drivers used the ensuing safety car for a pit stop. At the same time, those who were fast and out of the usual position, such as Leclerc and Sainz in Ferrari and Perez in Red Bull, decided not to enter the pit lane. The decision proved correct, they finished fourth, fifth and sixth, starting 10th, 11th and 12th.

They bounced back great, though all three still had to fight forward. On Friday the Ferrari cars were very fast on long stretches of laps and Pérez had the same technique as Verstappen. Sergio impressively won two of the first four races of the season, with Verstappen losing each time, but everything went wrong from the moment Miami Max, having started from ninth, confidently overtook Perez, who had started from pole.

Perez will need all his maturity and experience, the support of his family and team to change his mind and realize his speed and potential again. I suspect only Alonso and Hamilton have the mental strength to deal with Verstappen at the moment, and I doubt Red Bull would want that kind of instability in their team. The ideal scenario for them would be for Sergio to finish second behind Max in every race – and win when Max can’t win.

Strong young riders Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon know from their own experience how difficult it is to be Max’s partner. At the same time, Red Bull cannot afford to let Pérez go out of shape when Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin overtake them one day – and will therefore support him to the end.

After hitting a curb in Turn 8, Russell crashed into a wall – the car was hit hard front and rear, but made it to the pit lane, where the Mercedes repaired everything they could and put it back on track. The rear suspension on the Mercedes is rock solid, as Alonso proved by crashing into a wall on an Aston Martin using the same design.

Hamilton and Alonso nearly collided in the pit lane for second place before the Spaniard overtook him on lap 22. Eventually, Russell retired, but not for a reason related to his accident.

According to the fans, Albon became the “Rider of the Day” on a heavily updated Williams. With a single pit stop on lap 12, he did a great job keeping the tires on for the remaining 58 laps and keeping Esteban Ocon, two McLaren drivers, Valtteri Bottas and the fast approaching Lance Stroll behind him.

Stroll had a great race from 16th on the grid and took ninth place from Bottas at the finish.

The circuit on the Isle of Notre Dame in Montreal seems outdated for current Formula 1, but the stands are always full and the spectators are well versed in our sport and emotionally support the drivers, creating a great atmosphere.

Alonso said he drove all 70 laps in qualifying to keep Hamilton behind. And at the finish he was less than 10 seconds behind Verstappen, despite dealing with a fuel problem that this time turned out to be a phantom. This is a clear improvement compared to the beginning of the season.