“Mercedes had the fastest car” - Max Verstappen lends support to George Russell after his disappointment at Canada

Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, took victory at the challenging wet-dry Canadian Grand Prix. After taking the lead in the race's first half, the Dutchman managed to hold off McLaren's Lando Norris and Mercedes-AMG's George Russell.

Verstappen faced trouble with his RB20 race car throughout the Grand Prix. The triple-world champion was unable to drive on the curbs due to a suspension issue, adding to the challenges with the ever-changing track condition. Despite all the troubles, the young Red Bull Racing driver held off the fast-advancing Norris and Russell to take his 60th career win.

When questioned about whether Russell had a chance at winning the race, Verstappen went ahead and praised both Russell and Mercedes-AMG for having the fastest car on the grid. He said during a post-race interview with Sky Sports:

“For sure, I think overall Mercedes had the fastest car, so I would also be disappointed. But it’s so easy to make a mistake.”

Verstappen even had a chance to speak with Russell after the race. Supporting the young British driver, he further added:

“I told George already before, he was a bit upset with himself, and I said: ‘Mate, these things can happen. We are all pushing to the limit, sometimes it works out, and sometimes you make one mistake too much, and it can catch you out.’ But that’s racing."

Take a look at the post on X by a Verstappen fan account:

With Mercedes-AMG improving vastly after the update package at Montreal, it now seems like the eight-time constructors' champion is ready to get into a four-way battle for the win with Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari, and McLaren.

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Here's how the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix panned out at the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

The 2024 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix began under a spell of rain. Apart from the Haas duo starting on the blue-colored full-wet weather tires, the rest of the field chose to start the race on green-colored intermediate ones.

With the five red lights going out, the entire grid, including the leaders George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris, began the race cautiously, trying to find a grip on the heavily-soaked circuit. The only drivers who managed to get a good start were Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.

However, with the weather clearing and the track drying out, the leading pack began to pull away from the mid-field runners. Verstappen followed the pole-sitter Russell in the early stages.

But, the overall better package of McLaren allowed Norris to take the lead before the first safety car period. With Norris getting caught out by the sudden appearance of the safety car, both Verstappen and Russell took the opportunity to make a free pit stop.

Post the safety car, the Dutchman took the race lead and managed to keep both Norris and Russell at bay to take the victory at the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve under the ever-changing track conditions.

The race saw both the Ferrari and Williams Racing drivers retire, along with Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing.