In the end, Max Verstappen won the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, also his 60th win in Formula 1. However, there were two other drivers who could’ve equally won the race – Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The race, that saw several interruptions thanks to the rain and Safety Car, eventually rewarded “track position” given that the pace between the protagonists was very similar. In fact, Mercedes’ pit stops at the restart for fresh tyres was a masterstroke. It gave them significant tyre delta to pull off overtakes and score their first podium of the season. Of course, this was after George Russell scored the team’s first pole position of the season on Saturday.
The other two key strategy moments were – Haas’ “wet” tyre start of the race. Kevin Magnussen & Nico Hulkenberg were flying in the first tenth of the race! They pulled off overtakes at will. The other moment was when Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon chose to not pit under the Safety Car and pile 44 laps on the inters. This gave them track position in the top-10!
The 2024 Canadian Grand Prix was chaotic, but fun. It offered us a good mix of on-track action, mixed weather, a multi-team battle and Alpine’s first double points finish of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Tune in!
(Season 2024, Episode 27)
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Image courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool
