Max Verstappen maintained his excellent form in the 2023 Formula One season by winning the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. The Red Bull driver led from start to finish and secured his sixth victory in eight races, as well as his team’s 100th victory in F1 history.
Verstappen, who started from pole position after a wet and chaotic qualifying session on Saturday, controlled the race with ease and crossed the line with a comfortable margin of nine seconds over second-placed Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes completed the podium in third place, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen also equalled Ayrton Senna’s tally of 41 career victories.
“I am very pleased with this win. It was a great weekend for us. The car was working very well and we managed the tyres well. It is also very special to get Red Bull’s 100th win and to equal Senna’s record.” Verstappen said after the race.
Red Bull celebrated their milestone 100th victory, which came 14 years after their first one at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel led Mark Webber in a one-two for the team. The team has won all eight races this season, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez taking the other two in Baku and Jeddah.
“It is an incredible achievement for the team to reach 100 victories. It shows how far we have come since we entered F1 in 2005. We have had some amazing drivers and some amazing races over the years, and this is a very proud moment for everyone at Red Bull. Max was outstanding today, he drove a perfect race and deserved this win,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said.
Perez, however, had a disappointing race in Canada, finishing sixth after starting from 12th on the grid. The Mexican driver struggled to make up ground in the early stages.
The next race will be the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 2.