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The Austrian team, which broke into the category in 2005, has divided the championship in two with its performance so far in 2023. They, who are looking for first place, and the rest who are behind the runner-up. Race after race, the group shows that to be successful in this sport it is not enough to have the best car, a good driver is required and they have achieved this with Max Verstappen.
Canada, the ninth round of the 2023 Formula 1 calendar, did not show anything different from what has been frequent in the season. Max Verstappen, the Dutch driver and two-time world champion, took first place from start to finish after taking pole position on June 17.
Currently, the Austrian team is close to doubling its rival in the manufacturers’ classification, the Mercedes team, in points. In Montreal, home of the Canadian GP, Verstappen looked comfortable with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who took second place in the Canadian race.
“There is something that we are seeing at the moment and it is what some people might call ‘champion’s luck’ and that is that in addition to having a good driver and a good car, everything is being done so that he can dominate. I particularly believe that the dominance of Red Bull and Max Verstappen could be seen until 2026, which is when this engine regulation arrives, with more motorcyclists, with an engine with a hybrid component in a greater number than what is currently available, perhaps there that is when we see a change”, said Valentina Peña, a journalist for ‘W Radio’ in Colombia.
Scuderia Mercedes returns to the podium, but is still far from Red Bull
In the last races, Spain and Canada, Lewis Hamilton has led the podiums for the Mercedes team this season. In Spain he finished second ahead of teammate George Russell, while in Montreal he crossed the line behind Fernando Alonso, marking his third top-three race so far this season.
Mercedes, after a difficult start, has managed to climb to second place in the manufacturer’s standings, beating Aston Martin, which with Fernando Alonso has taken podiums in up to six races. But despite the improvements, the car is still far from Red Bull, as it finished just over 14 seconds behind Verstappen’s car at the last Grand Prix.
“Clearly it lacks to get closer to Red Bull, we are talking about Red Bull having a very big difference. In Spain, Max Verstappen won with more than 20 seconds of advantage, of course it is something that is not cut from one race to another, but I think that Mercedes is on the right track, “added Peña.
Another team that showed a good result, without being on the podium, was Ferrari. In seven races prior to the Canadian GP – remember that the Emilia-Romagna GP was suspended – he had only been able to finish in the points with his two drivers on four circuits. Canada was the fifth time with a 4-5 in the standings of the race, a good strategy that allowed the drivers to come back from the positions 10 and 11 in which they started.
“What we saw with Ferrari winning after more than 50 years at Le Mans I think can serve as motivation to achieve results in Formula 1. A change in mentality and structure is needed, which Frédéric has gradually brought Vasseur, but strategy mistakes continue to be made. However, there is a small step forward compared to last season”, added the journalist.
After the Canadian GP, the cars will return to Europe for the Austrian GP, the first in a series of events leading up to the summer break scheduled between July 30, after the Belgian GP, and August 27, when resume activities for the Dutch Grand Prix
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