The phrase is inflated, given the frequency with which Christian Horner uses it, but it fits well with what we saw this weekend in Montreal: “He is the best Max ever”. The Verstappen version 2022 has kept intact the great dose of natural talent that no one has ever questioned, alongside it with an increasingly mature and careful management of the race weekend. The result is a driver who is guaranteeing significant added value, without which even the excellent Red Bull would not be where it is today.
“The classification tells us that we have already won several races this year – Horner pointed out – but I think this weekend, in all honesty, Max has been the great added value. He confirmed himself in the lead in every session, conquered pole position and managed all stages of the race in the best possible way, even when he was left without a radio. In the final he was phenomenal in the first sector, he had a lot of pressure on his shoulders but he was flawless. It is a great victory for him ”.
Max Verstappen, wins the Canadian GP with the Red Bull RB18
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The success obtained in Montreal, the fifth in the last six races (as well as the sixth of the season) allowed Verstappen to make the first real escape of the 2022 world championship. The fifteen points gained in Canada over Charles Leclerc brought the margin on the Ferrari driver to +49 ‘ practically two races ahead.
In ordinary conditions it is difficult at the moment to find weaknesses in the Verstappen-Red Bull tandem, but on a triumphal day we must not forget Sergio Perez’s retirement, an unexpected stop which confirms that reliability problems are always around the corner.
In Red Bull they remember well the standings of twelve months ago after the ninth race of the season: Max was the leader with 32 points ahead of Hamilton. Two Grands Prix later Verstappen found himself -8 behind Lewis due to two accidents, so it’s no surprise that no one in the team wants to hear about ‘breakaway’.
Max Verstappen celebrates Montreal success with the Red Bull team
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
For Ferrari, the Montreal weekend is a glass half full. The events in Baku made Leclerc’s weekend totally uphill, but until the last meters of the race the Scuderia was still close to victory.
Carlos Sainz, thanks to the safety car triggered by Tsunoda’s accident, gave everything he could to put his F1-75 ahead of Verstappen, but he never had a real opportunity to try to overtake.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
In the seventy laps of the race Sainz was impeccable, as was the car, and if the victory did not come, besides the merits of Verstappen we have to look back, that is to the verdict of qualifying. If Carlos had been on the front row, perhaps the race would have been different, with Max who would have been called upon to grit his teeth not only in the last twenty laps.
In terms of performance, Ferrari is there, and it is very close to Red Bull, but over a race weekend it cannot concede anything to its opponent, as happened in Canada in the difficult qualifying session on Saturday.
Every mistake, every smudge, every unexpected event involves a high price to pay, at least until Verstappen and Red Bull confirm themselves at the levels seen in the last few races. Ferrari is fast, and in terms of pure performance it has everything to try to fight for it, even in a global key, but you need perfect solidity, the one that Red Bull cemented last year during the intense duel with Mercedes.
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 2nd position
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
In the final rush of Montreal Sainz, in terms of performance, had more than all of them, but Verstappen was able to count on a very good first sector and excellent traction at the exit of turn 10 which sheltered the leader of the race from attacks on the next straight.
Max understood that he would not be able to reach the fateful second advantage that would have removed the ‘DRS’ weapon from Sainz, because Ferrari could count on the mobile wing and better use of the curbs (historic Red Bull weapon), but at the same time Verstappen knew that if he hadn’t made mistakes Carlos would never have passed, as he has since.
At the end of the race Sainz admitted that second place was too tight for him, and that’s right.
“For the first time I felt like the fastest driver on the track – confessed Carlos at the end of the race – but I wanted to win”.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75, shoves Pierre Gasly. AlphaTauri, during his comeback
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
It is not the first time that Carlos has seen closely the possibility of taking his first victory in Formula 1, but if the performance seen in Montreal is confirmed in the next races he will not have to wait long. For the first time this season the Spaniard has appeared completely comfortable with the car and this is probably the best news with which Carlos returns home from Montreal.
But in Canada Sainz has realized that to reach the goal you need the perfect weekend, which was not in Montreal also for his responsibility. In the next round of Silverstone, Leclerc will also be part of the match, having managed to limit the damage in a very difficult weekend for him.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Patrick Vinet / Motorsport Images
Charles conceded fifteen points to Verstappen over the weekend in Montreal, but on the other hand he can look to the next stages on the calendar with the certainty of having put hay in the farmhouse on the motor front.
“The gap from Max? It motivates me – commented Leclerc – above all because I know the potential of our car. We need a weekend without any unforeseen events, and we hope that this weekend can already reach the next stage of Silverstone ”. There is everything to succeed.
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