Max Verstappen continues his dominance as he recorded his sixth win from the opening eight races this season with the Canadian Grand Prix 2023 title on Sunday, June 18. The Dutch ace, starting at pole, also guided Red Bull Racing to record its 100th win since its inception in 2004. Verstappen also stretches his lead at the top with 195 points, 69 more than second-placed Sergio Perez.
Veterans Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso stole the majority of the limelight at the Canadian circuit as the duo clashed with each other for the second spot. Alonso finished runner-up, nine seconds behind Verstappen, and five seconds ahead of the English star to take another podium this year.
Meanwhile, Verstappen registered his 41st win as he leveled with Ayrton Senna in the most wins record in Formula 1 history. He is now only behind Lewis Hamilton (103*), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53), and Alain Prost (51).
After the race, the Dutchman, with eight podiums in eight races this season, said that this was not the best performance from his team but a nine-second win displays their clear dominance on Sunday.
"Today was tricky because of the cold temperatures. We couldn't get the tyres to work, they were always too cold," Verstappen told reporters. "We know the strength of the car is the tyre deg, so the cars that are a bit heavier on the tyres it probably worked a bit better for them today.
"It's difficult to say how the others were performing because I think from our side it was not at 100 percent but to win by nine seconds shows we still have a good car. It was just management - knowing when to push and sometimes you didn't feel the grip that was there and you can't push at 100 percent."
The race also produced the best result for struggling Ferrari this year. Charles Leclerc finished fourth and his teammate Carlos Sainz in the fifth to clinch 22 points for Ferrari, who now stands fourth in the 2023 Constructor Standings with 122 points.
