Barcelona can come

Wolff: “If we had been told this beforehand…”

Toto Wolff is looking forward to the race weekend in Barcelona.

(Bild: AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Chris Graythen)

The Canadian Grand Prix may have brought Max Verstappen and Red Bull their sixth Formula 1 victory of the season, but it also cemented one fact: Things are getting more difficult for the world champion.

McLaren and Mercedes would have been ripe for victory in Montreal, but in the end the special class of Verstappen, who is more ripped off than his rivals, prevailed. There's no saying that it will always be like this in the coming weeks - and that pleases the fans.

In an extremely complicated race, with changing track conditions (wet/dry) and grip levels, plus two safety car phases, Red Bull remained cool in the face of the growing competition. "There are so many things you can do wrong on a day like today, but fortunately we got them right," said Team Principal Christian Horner. "The team adapted to the adverse conditions and did a good job in all areas."

"It was a tough weekend"
The timing of tire changes and the choice of rubber rollers were crucial. "Once we were on the slick tires at the end, the car had good pace and we controlled that until the end," said Verstappen. "It was a tough weekend, but I'm really proud to have brought home my 60th win."

We had a really fast car this weekend and it was really fun to be back in the fight for the win.

George Russell

As neither Charles Leclerc nor Carlos Sainz took any points from Ferrari, it was actually a very successful weekend for Red Bull. Verstappen extended his championship lead to a comfortable 56 points, while the 'bulls' are 49 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' championship. Sergio Perez's retirement after crashing into the barriers did not carry much weight.

What is certain, however, is that the mountain Verstappen has to climb to win his fourth world championship title in a row is getting steeper. Not only McLaren, but also Mercedes were able to match the pace of his car. Both rivals led the race at times through Lando Norris and George Russell respectively. "It feels like a missed opportunity," said Russell, who had driven away from pole position and ultimately finished third behind Norris. "We had a really fast car this weekend and it was really fun to be back in the fight for victory."

Team Principal Toto Wolff said it was "bittersweet" because they could have achieved even more than their first podium of the season. "But if we had been told before the weekend that we would finish third and fourth, we would have taken it," said the Viennese, expressing confidence that Mercedes will also be in with the music in two weeks' time in Spain, on a more conventional track and in normal conditions. "So Barcelona will be interesting for everyone, but I'm confident that we can be in the fight," Russell also emphasized.

Horror weekend for Ferrari
Red Bull has always struggled in recent races. Perez, who was unable to provide Verstappen with any assistance, is not innocent of this. Important parts may also have been damaged in his crash on Sunday. Regardless of this, the Mexican will have to move down three places on the grid as he lost some parts while continuing his journey after his accident. "We know that he is incredibly resilient, will bounce back and fight again in Barcelona," said Horner.

Fred Vasseur cannot be satisfied with the performance in Canada.

(Bild: APA/AFP/FERRARI PRESS OFFICE/Handout, GETTY IMAGES/Dan Istitene)

The Ferrari team, which experienced a truly horrendous weekend, must also regroup and fight back. The Reds had problems with the engine management system in Montreal, with Leclerc losing half a second to the competition on the straights at times. "We lost a lot of horsepower as a result," said Team Principal Fred Vasseur. In Monaco, he and Leclerc had jumped euphorically into the harbor basin together in celebration of the Grand Prix victory. "After the celebratory jump into the Monaco harbor, Ferrari never reappeared," wrote the Corriere della Sera.