Verstappen wins again with Alonso as his biggest rival

Carlos Sainz meets the 'Top 5' that he had predicted on Saturday

The Dutch Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) achieved his sixth victory of the season, in eight races, by winning the Canadian Grand Prix, getting closer to his third title in a row in a domain that he once again had at Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin as the biggest rival, second, while the also Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) went up to fifth position.

Verstappen has no rival, but Alonso was on the lookout as the closest car in case the long-awaited 33rd victory was given. The current champion did not fail and stretched his income in the World Cup, but the Spaniard confirmed the improvements to his Aston Martin to leave Barcelona's bad move behind and achieve his sixth podium in 2023.

The Asturian was left 9 seconds behind the winning Red Bull in a race with less emotion than expected. Fortunately, the wall of champions did not have a leading role, although George Russell's Mercedes did take a good hit. Verstappen dominated from start to finish and, from behind, different 'trains' of cars had to play for the podium and the points, with 'safety cars' involved.

Alonso lost second to Hamilton at the start, but in the first of those safety cars, the race bunched up. The Englishman avoided a penalty for forcing in the 'boxes' to start ahead of the Spaniard and on the track, the Aston Martin showed that it is still faster than the Mercedes, closing the Hamilton podium, despite the fact that the Asturian had to manage the gasoline , the tires and the brake problem that Russell had.

The improvements worked and the British team sees Alonso nine points behind second place in the World Cup with Sergio Pérez, a Red Bull that did not work in Montreal. The Gilles Villeneuve circuit did calm things down at Ferrari, with a good strategy in a one-stop race and a fourth and fifth place for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

The man from Madrid came from eleventh position on the grid to the Top 5' that he predicted on Saturday that he could reach. In addition, in a particularly difficult circuit for the tyres, the 'prancing horse' came out unscathed from the degradation problems that have been taking their toll since last year.

Verstappen equaled the 41 victories of the Brazilian Ayrton Senna, with 195 points, for the 126 of a 'Checo' Pérez who was sixth, although he left Canada with an income that decreased again due to the push of Aston Martin and the gradual improvement of Mercedes and Ferrari.