Vettel dominates Canadian GPposted in F110 | 06 | 2018
FERRAI DOMINATED WHAT was a rather processional Canadian Grand Prix, with pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel leading every lap of the race. The German’s win eased him into a one-point lead in the F1 World Championship ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver finished a distant fifth.
The one significant incident of the race came on the opening lap when Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley and local favourite Lance Stroll crashed in spectacular fashion at Turn 5 on the opening lap.
The Williams driver got out of shape through the fast right-hand kink, squeezing Hartley, who was on his left, between his car and the imposing tyre barrier. The inevitable contact briefly launched the Toro Rosso into the air. After being examined at the medical centre, Hartley was then sent to hospital for further checks.
At the head of the field, Vettel led the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas off the start line and then proceeded to build up a strong lead, once the safety car period ended.
Bizarrely, the chequered flag was shown a lap earlier than it should have been. Vettel though was aware of the error and completed the full distance at racing speed. But because the flag had been waved, the race result was then based on positions at the end of lap 68.
The main challenge to Bottas came from the Red Bull of Max Verstappen at Turn 1 on the opening lap. The Dutchman pulled alongside the Mercedes, but Bottas held on to the inside line for Turn 2 and forced the Red Bull driver to back out.
Verstappen finished third, one place ahead of his team-mate, Monaco winner Daniel Ricciardo. The ever-smiling Aussie took advantage of over-heating difficulties for Hamilton early in the race to jump the Mercedes during the pitstops.
Hamilton had been forced to stop early to allow his Mercedes crew to try to rectify an engine problem, following the reigning world champion having reported "drop outs of power" early in the race.
The extended pitstop also left Hamilton vulnerable to the late-stopping Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, but the Finn emerged just behind the Mercedes and Hamilton was able to open a comfortable gap to the sixth-placed driver.
In the closing laps, despite his crew offering him the opportunity to turn down his engine to protect it, Hamilton kept max power and charged after fourth-placed Ricciardo, eventually crossing the line less than a second adrift of the Red Bull.
Behind the leading top six cars, Renault claimed seventh and eighth — essentially a 1-2 in the ‘B-race’ — Nico Hulkenberg leading home team-mate Carlos Sainz. The top 10 was completed by Force India’s Esteban Ocon and the Sauber of Charles Leclerc. The Frenchman inherited 10th after Fernando Alonso was forced to retire his McLaren with an exhaust problem.
F1 — Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal (Result):
1. Sebastian Vettel GER Scuderia Ferrari 69 laps
2. Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport + 6.496s
3. Max Verstappen NED Aston Martin Red Bull Racing + 7.702s
4. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Aston Martin Red Bull Racing + 19.625s
5. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport + 21.408s
6. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Scuderia Ferrari + 27.308s
7. Nico Hulkenberg GER Renault Sport Formula One Team + 1 lap
8. Carlos Sainz Jr. ESP Renault Sport Formula One Team + 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon FRA Sahara Force India F1 Team + 1 lap
10. Charles Leclerc MON Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team + 1 lap
11. Pierre Gasly FRA Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda + 1 lap
12. Romain Grosjean FRA Haas F1 Team + 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas F1 Team + 1 lap
14. Sergio Perez MEX Sahara Force India F1 Team + 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson SWE Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team + 2 laps
16. Stoffel Vandoorne BEL McLaren F1 Team + 2 laps
17. Sergey Sirotkin RUS Williams Martini Racing + 2 laps
Did not finish:
Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren F1 Team 40 laps
Lance Stroll CAN Williams Martini Racing 0 laps
Brendon Hartley NZL Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda 0 laps
Related: Hamilton dominates Mercedes 1-2 in Spain
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Jim McGill