Race Changing Moments: Canadian Grand Prix 2023

The incidents that occurred in Canada to help the Team to its eighth win in a row.

We’re

running

out

superlatives

for

‘dominant’,

but

was

another

outstanding

performance

from

Max

Verstappen

this

weekend.

The

defending

World

Champion

claimed

his

41st

career

win,

equalling

the

legendary

Ayrton

Senna.

And

that

meant

the

Team

joined

the

100-Club

becoming

only

the

fifth

constructor

complete

century

victories.

So,

let’s

look

the

moments

that

made

memorable

weekend…

Re-live the action

Don’t Blame It On The Weatherman!

Friday and Saturday were hectic for everyone in Canada. FP1 was severely hindered due to a CCTV issue which meant the track was unsafe for the drivers, and changeable conditions in FP2, FP3 and Qualifying meant that tyre choice was crucial.

Wet Part Of The Weekend

As the track started to dry out in Q2, the field made the switch to slick tyres, which paid off greatly for former Bull, Alex Albon who topped the times in his Williams. Max was right behind in P2, but Checo couldn’t generate enough heat in his tyres and was eliminated in P12.

The dry track didn’t last for Q3 and Max was quick to head out on track as the rain started to intensify. The flying Dutchman stormed to provisional Pole with a 1:25.858 before the session was red flagged due to a crash for Oscar Piastri. The dry line was lost during the recovery of the stricken McLaren, so Max claimed his 21st pole position, and by the biggest margin of any race since 2014.

Giving Thanks To The Fans

Checo’s Race-Day Recovery

After Checo’s struggles on Saturday, the Mexican started the race on Hard tyres, an alternate strategy to those around him on the grid, who opted for less durable Medium compound.

On lap 12 the Safety Car was deployed and many of the front runners dived into the pits, but Checo stayed out and was able to move up to P6. After a 37-lap stint, he made his first stop, swapping his Hard tyres for a set of the yellow-rimmed Mediums. He re-joined the action in P7, but made quick work of the Williams of Albon to regain sixth place. By the penultimate lap, Checo had built up a pit-stop gap to those behind, so he boxed for a set of Soft tyres in an attempt to secure the extra point for Fastest Lap, which he duly collected en route to a P6 finish.

Checo Taking Advantage Of Russell's Mistake

Leading The Way

Starting from Pole Position, Max was able to pull away fast and keep the lead from Lewis Hamilton, who jumped Fernando Alonso at the start. When the Safety Car came out, the Championship leader shot into the pits to swap from Medium to Hard tyres.

Ahead Into Turn One

He kept those tyres for 30 laps and when on lap 41, Alonso went into the pits, it was only natural that Max would come in on the following lap. With a 2.7s stop, Max came out of the pitlane still in the lead, where he remained until the end of the race. Although Max missed out on his fourth Grand Slam of his career, by not claiming the fastest lap, he extended his lead to 69 points in the Drivers’ Championship.

In The Company Of Legends

Max’s weekend saw him move up the rankings in several ‘all time’ lists. On Saturday his Pole Position was the 21st of his Formula One career, which put him one head of both Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet, who both have three World Championship titles each.

He followed that up on Sunday by claiming his 41st win, which puts him equal with another three-time World Champion, Ayton Senna. At 25 years of age, who knows how far he can rise up the ranks moving forward?

Congratulations From Christian Horner

Welcome To The One Hundred Club

The 2023 Canadian Grand Prix represented the 100th win for the Team, becoming only the fifth F1 constructor to achieve this milestone. Williams is the next most successful team on the grid with 114 victories. We will be looking ahead to catch that record as soon as possible.

Red Bull Shower For The 100th Win