2024 F1 Canadian GP results: Verstappen wins wild wet/dry race

Verstappen beat McLaren’s Lando Norris and George Russell of Mercedes in an action-packed race held in mixed weather conditions.

2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix results

2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix report

Polesitter Russell led the charge to Turn 1 in wet conditions ahead of Verstappen and the McLarens of Norris and Piastri.

Daniel Ricciardo’s good work in qualifying was undone when he fell back from fifth to seventh, passed by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). Ricciardo (RB) was also given a 5s penalty for a false start.

Unlike most of the field on intermediates, Kevin Magnussen started his Haas on full wets and charged up to eighth on the first lap from 14^th on the grid. He then passed Ricciardo, Hamilton and Alonso for fifth.

Magnussen took fourth from Piastri at the hairpin on lap three and closed on Norris by setting a string of fastest laps until the sun came out on lap six and it crossed over in favour of in the intermediates again. Magnussen pitted on lap eight for inters, which weren’t ready – resulting in an 8.6s stop and him tumbling back to 14^th.

Russell was a second clear of Verstappen by lap 10, 7s clear of Norris and Piastri. Alonso and Hamilton battled for fifth. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), who also started on wets, surged up to seventh, but began to fall back by lap 12 and pitted for inters a lap later.

Verstappen put pressure on Russell until he ran long at Turn 1, briefly cutting going across the grass, allowing Norris on to his tail.

As the track dried, Norris DRS-ed past Verstappen for second on lap 20 and set off after Russell, who had been as much as 2s ahead. Norris repeated his move on Russell to take the lead, but Russell went straight on at the chicane and lost second to Verstappen too.

The rain clouds gathered once more as they eked their inters to the next rainstorm but Logan Sargeant spun his Wiliams and couldn’t restart, causing a safety car.

Surprisingly, Norris didn’t pit as Verstappen, Russell and Piastri all stopped for new inters. Norris pitted a lap later, but that dropped him behind Verstappen and Russell.

At the restart on lap 30, Verstappen led Russell, Norris and Piastri, with Hamilton getting ahead of Alonso for fifth during the pit cycle. Yuki Tsunoda jumped up to seventh, as he didn’t pit for fresh inters, ahead of Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Esteban Ocon (up from 18^th in his Alpine, also on his original inters) and Ricciardo (who took his 5s penalty under the safety car).

The rain returned almost immediately, allowing Verstappen to pull away by 1.5s at half distance – although he had to swerve around an errant groundhog that ran across the track in front of him.

Norris straight-lined the first corners on lap 42, dropping him back from Russell. Hamilton pitted from fifth for slicks on lap 44, followed in by Piastri a tour later.

Verstappen and Russell stopped on lap 45, as Norris stayed out for two laps and set fastest lap. He pitted on lap 47, rejoining side-by-side with Verstappen but without the heat in his tyres and he fishtailed to second.

Norris locked up and ran wide at the hairpin on lap 49, which allowed Russell to get a good exit and used DRS to pass into second place. But two laps later, Russell ran wide and bounced across the kerbs, allowing Norris ahead of him once more.

The safety car was required again when Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari spun and Alex Albon’s Williams collected him, moments after Sergio Perez had crashed his Red Bull backwards into the wall.

Russell and Hamilton opted to pit for fresh mediums.

Verstappen bolted away at the restart on lap 59, quickly gapping Norris by 2s, who had Piastri, Russell and Hamilton on his tail. Russell attacked Piastri with 16 laps remaining at the chicane, but Piastri shoved him straight on, which allowed Hamilton past his team-mate to pick up fourth.

Hamilton grabbed third by DRS-ing past Piastri with six laps to go, with Russell doing likewise a tour later.

Verstappen won by 3.8s over Norris. Russell grabbed third from Hamilton with a couple of laps remaining. Piastri was a distant fifth, ahead of Alonso and Stroll.

A monumental scrap was fought out in the closing stages between Alpine and RB for eighth, with Ocon, Tsunoda, Ricciardo and Gasly all nose-to-tail. Tsunoda crashed out of the points at Turn 9, almost wiping out several cars.

Ricciardo finished eighth from Gasly and Ocon.

Ferrari suffered a woeful day, with Sainz going out with accident damage and Charles Leclerc forced to retire after an engine problem plagued him from the start.

2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix fastest laps