Max Verstappen tied late Brazilian great Ayrton Senna with 41 career wins on Sunday — and he has his sights set even higher.
The Red Bull driver led from start to finish and cruised to victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to claim the Canadian Grand Prix for a second year in a row.
“When I was a little kid driving and go-karting, I was dreaming about being a Formula One driver and I would have never imagined winning 41 Grand Prix,” said Verstappen, who tied Senna for fifth all-time. “I’m proud of that.
“But of course, I hope it’s not stopping here and I hope that we can keep on winning more races.”
Max Verstappen wins second straight Canadian Grand Prix
Verstappen never trailed defending his Canadian Grand Prix title in Montreal.
The odds of that are high. Verstappen, the two-time reigning world champion, has won four races in a row and six of eight overall this season.
The 25-year-old Dutch driver now leads the Formula One drivers’ standings with 195 points, 69 ahead of teammate Sergio Perez, who came in sixth on Sunday and missed the podium for a third straight race.
Not only did Verstappen set new marks individually, he also won Red Bull its 100th victory.
“I’ve won 41 of them, we’ll talk about maybe a new contract because of that,” he quipped.
Max Verstappen celebrates his 2023 Canadian Grand Prix victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes placed second and third to round out the podium, which could hardly be more decorated.
Verstappen, Alonso and Hamilton have 11 world championships and 176 race wins between them, something all three drivers recognized while sitting together after the race.
“It’s a privilege to be up here with these two, who’ve done incredible in their careers, and this is quite an iconic top three,” said Hamilton. “I don’t know if there’s been a top three like this ever before.”
From left to right, Fernando Alonso, Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton celebrate on the podium after the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Only one of the three, however, was truly pleased with the order.
“I think of course they want to swap positions of course,” said Verstappen. “I’m happy in the middle at the moment.”
“I’m really hoping at some stage we have a more level playing field in our cars and then we’ll have a much more exciting race,” added Hamilton.
Alonso, a 41-year-old veteran, earned his sixth podium this season and moved within nine points of Perez for second to continue building on a resurgent season.
Asked if he thought he could catch Perez, Alonso didn’t stutter: “Yes.”
DRIVER STANDINGS ????<br><br>A nice gap at the top for Max ????<br>The battle for second heating up! ????<br>A solid haul for the Ferraris ????<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanadianGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CanadianGP</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#F1</a> <a href=”https://t.co/rGm8OohcM8″>pic.twitter.com/rGm8OohcM8</a>
Alonso and Hamilton duelled for second from the very first turn when Hamilton blasted past Alonso to move up to P2. Alonso then retook his position on Lap 22 with an overtake into the final chicane.
When Aston Martin informed Alonso over the radio that Hamilton had closed the gap to within 1.4 seconds with 10 laps remaining, the Spaniard responded: “Copy. Leave it to me.”
“He’s a multi-world champion, so yeah, he knows what he’s doing,” said Hamilton.
Mercedes was looking for a second consecutive strong Grand Prix after Hamilton and teammate George Russell made the podium in Spain earlier this month.
Russell, however, had to retire early after hitting the wall and damaging the right side of his car 12 laps in. He carried on until Lap 55 but pulled out due to brake issues.
Montreal’s Stroll finishes 9th
Montreal’s Lance Stroll, Canada’s lone F1 driver, started in 16th and finished ninth, tying his best result at home.
The 24-year-old Aston Martin driver is eighth in the standings and has yet to reach the podium this season despite his teammate Alonso being a consistent top-three finisher.
“With all the circumstances, it was better than nothing to get some points,” said Stroll. “But it was still a difficult weekend after yesterday and bad luck today.”
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz began the race in 10th and 11th after some missteps during Saturday’s qualifying session, but made ground to finish fourth and fifth.
Williams Driving’s Alex Albon was named the F1 driver of the day after coming seventh, his best result in two years. Alpine’s Estaban Ocon was eighth.
Red Bull remained perfect with eight wins in eight races this season and increased its already sizable lead in the constructors’ standings with 321 points to Mercedes’ 167.
TEAM STANDINGS<br><br>Red Bull look unstoppable ???? And the fight behind them looks set to rumble on all year-long ????<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanadianGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CanadianGP</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#F1</a> <a href=”https://t.co/1JQxur9fwY”>pic.twitter.com/1JQxur9fwY</a>
With the race falling on Father’s Day, the drivers took a moment to thank their old men for helping them reach these heights.
“After my dad’s own career, he invested all his time in mine. It’s hard to explain you know how much he has dedicated to me because I probably still don’t even understand how much he did,” said Verstappen of his father Jos, who drove professionally through the 1990s and early 2000s. “I don’t need to buy him a present, I did this, so I think he’s happy.”
“Congratulations to my father,” Alonso joked. “My father is different, he has no talent at all to drive.
“He was always very with his feet on the ground and teaching me other things and other values because it was difficult to believe that I was able to reach Formula One one day, and that’s the beauty of our story.”
The track stayed dry beneath a mix of sun and clouds throughout the race after showers impacted practice and qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday.
Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. (Timothy A. Clary/Pool via Reuters)
A record number of 345,000 spectators — including celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, NHL stars Mitch Marner and Carey Price, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell — made the trip to Île Notre-Dame, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, over the event’s three days.
After missing two years due to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, the Canadian Grand Prix will return to Montreal for a third straight year in 2024. The circuit is under contract with Formula One until 2031.
Next up, the series moves across the Atlantic for the Austrian Grand Prix on July 2.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
