The 2022 F1 Canadian GP provided as much action as it could with what it had in hand. With Max Verstappen somewhat unchallenged at the front of the grid and his competitors starting the race out of position, it was somewhat expected that the reigning champion would get the job done.
As was the case, Verstappen was able to win the 2022 F1 Canadian GP despite multiple Virtual Safety Car and Safety Car stoppages. Not only that, he did so by fending off the fast-charging Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.
In the end, it was the Dutchman taking the chequered flag with Sainz chasing him down in 2nd. The two Mercedes drivers finished P3 and P4 while Charles Leclerc climbed his way to P5. The two Alpines scored a P6 and P7 with Esteban Ocon ahead of Fernando Alonso (who was subjected to a horrible strategy by the team). Bringing up the tail end of the points-scoring positions, we had both the Alfa Romeos in P8 and P9 while Aston Martin had Lance Stroll scoring the lone point. So, in case you missed it, here's what happened.
#1 Max Verstappen controls the 2022 F1 Canadian GP to win his 6th race of the season, Charles Leclerc finishes 5th
As soon as it appeared that it was going to be an Alpine on the front row and not a Ferrari, it seemed that things were going to be much easier for the reigning champion. Once Max Verstappen nailed the start of the race, that was pretty much it. After that point, he managed to control the race well and even held off Carlos Sainz to win his 6th race of the season.
Charles Leclerc was 5th after a brilliant recovery from the back of the grid, as Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez retired due to reliability issues.
#2 Mercedes maximize the 2022 F1 Canadian GP weekend with a 3-4 finish
Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell made the most of the car underneath them as they finished the race 3rd and 4th respectively. This was Hamilton's first win over his teammate in 7 races and also his second podium of the season.
The race seemed positive for Mercedes as both its drivers were able to put together some very competitive lap times in the car. There was a slight question over the timing of Russell's second pitstop, but overall, the team will take the points with both hands.
#3 Fernando Alonso has a disaster of a Canadian GP as he finishes behind his teammate
Starting the race on the front row was quite a bittersweet moment for Fernando Alonso. The driver found himself fending off the advancing Ferraris and Red Bulls. While his competition pitted behind the VSC and SC, Alonso trudged along.
As it turned out, it was the final SC period that ultimately destroyed his race. Having been forced into a double stack, Alonso got stuck behind his teammate with not much hope of a better result.
#4 Alfa Romeo scores impressive double points finish as Haas implodes at the 2022 F1 Canadian GP
Alfa Romeo was very impressive throughout the 2022 F1 Canadian GP. The race featured both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou slowly but steadily making their way to the points scoring position, giving the team its second double-points finish since the season-opener in Bahrain.
The other Ferrari-engined customer team, Haas, however, had a horrible race. It started with Kevin Magnussen damaging his wing and getting dropped down the order. The second Haas driver Mick Schumacher suffered a worse fate as the driver had to retire from the points-scoring positions due to reliability issues.
#5 McLaren endures a disappointing Canadian GP weekend with no points on the board
McLaren had nothing to offer all weekend and it was not surprising to see Daniel Ricciardo lose out 10th position to Lance Stroll. Neither of the cars had a strong race pace at any time in the race and when some overtaking was needed, the car didn't have the top speed. McLaren will be desperately hoping for a return to normal form at Silverstone.