Formula 1 did not race in Montreal in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, so 2022 was anxiously awaited by everyone in the F1 family.

The last race, back in 2019, ended up in controversy as Sebastian Vettel was penalized with a 5-seconds time penalty after the German went straight on over the grass, missing turn four. As the Ferrari re-joined the track, Hamilton was squeezed towards the outside wall.

For 2022 there was a new directive from the FIA trying to minimize the bouncing effects (“purposing”) affecting many cars since the beginning of the season. Also, the Wall of Champions has been changed from the original concrete to a Tecpro barrier.

FRIDAY

FP1

There were menacing clouds in the distance, so everybody was desperate to get out on track as soon as Practice 1 started.

After just 17 minutes, Esteban Ocon came into the pits with a smoking right front brake in his Alpine due to some flying debris he picked up somewhere on track. Meanwhile, the Red Bulls were trading fastest laps between Verstappen and Perez, more than half a second faster than anyone else. In the meantime, the FIA was busy gathering data to complete their ‘proposing’ limiting directive. In the end, it was Max Verstappen, ahead of Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso.

FP2

It was a bit windy when FP2 started, and there was no rain in sight, although it was always a threat. Nevertheless, most teams needed as much data as possible to understand how the new FIA directive could affect the cars, not only for this race but the rest of the season as well.

During the first few minutes, there were so many cars on track that it looked as if it was the Grand Prix already. Although the Red Bull appears to be in complete control of the session. Carlos Sainz was complaining about bouncing being worse than in FP1, as did both Mercedes drivers as well.

Friday did belong to Max Verstappen as he sets the fastest lap of the day, a 1:14.127, a bit faster than the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. A happy Sebastian Vettel finished fourth fastest, Fernando Alonso fifth.

Later that same day, the FIA confirmed that Charles Leclerc was to receive a 10-place grid penalty for taking his 3rd control electronics before FP2.

SATURDAY

FP3

It was cold and damped, just 11 degrees ambient and 16 degrees on track, and only Kevin Magnussen ventured out early on, followed by both Alfa Romeo a few minutes later. Then came Leclerc and a few others.

After the hour had gone, it was Fernando Alonso the fastest, followed by Pierre Gasly, Sebastian Vettel, Esteban Ocon, and Daniel Ricciardo the top five in a wet FP3.

QUALIFYING

The weather was as complicated as it was for FP3 earlier on, very wet, enough to mix things up. This was Qualifying for the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix!

Q1

Everyone came out as soon as possible to set timed laps, although with compromised visibility. And as expected, it wasn’t only the usual people up front with Verstappen ahead of Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Kevin Magnussen, and Charles Leclerc the top five. In any case, it was Pierre Gasly, Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi, and Yuki Tsunoda eliminated.

Q2

The track was getting drier as the rain had stopped, but conditions were still tricky, anyway, the teams opted for intermediate tires. But then, Alex Albon went off but was able to get back to the pits. and then Perez went off at turn 3 and got stuck against the Tecpro barrier. This was the first red flag of the weekend so far.

Qualifying resumed and a drying line was visible, but there were wet patches and puddles around the track.

After some exciting few minutes with lap times tumbling down in the drying track, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc could not go through to the next stage.

Q3

Cars on to the track with intermediate tires as the track was too wet for slicks yet. But laps were getting faster and faster. Midway into the session, George Russell risked on slicks but ended up going out and touching the barriers, meanwhile Verstappen set a very fast lap to claim Pole Position. But behind him, 40-year-old Fernando Alonso went P2 in his last flying lap. Carlos Sainz was third, then came Lewis Hamilton, Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher, Esteban Ocon, George Russell, Daniel Ricciardo, and Zhou Guanyu.

Interesting fact: Fernando Alonso qualified on the front row for the first time since the German Grand Prix in 2012.

Earlier on, it was confirmed that Charles Leclerc took a new ICE, turbo, MGU-H, and MGU-K, so he would start the race from the back of the grid. His teammate Carlos Sainz also took a new ICE but no penalty for that. Yuki Tsunoda was also to start back on the grid for exceeding his power unit allocation for the season.

SUNDAY

Sunday was a beautiful day, sunny and bright, contrasting conditions to the day before. On the grid, Ferrari had painted a tribute to Gilles Villeneuve in the circuit named after him on places three and nineteenth, where Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc started the race.

Everybody started on medium tires, except Bottas, Perez, Norris, Stroll, and Leclerc on hards.

The race started with the top five keeping their starting positions. On lap 3, Carlos Sainz overtook Fernando Alonso for second place.

Both Vettel and Gasly decided to pit early on lap 6 of 70. Magnussen was shown the black and orange flag, so he had to pit to repair his front wing, which was damaged in a tangle with Lewis Hamilton on lap 1.

On lap 8, Sergio Perez reported “I lost the engine man” although it sounded more like gearbox issue, and stopped his RB18, retiring from the race. A VSC was displayed while the Red Bull was taken off the track. Many drivers, including Max Verstappen, took advantage of the almost free stop. Carlos Sainz didn’t stop and was now leading the Grand Prix, Alonso in second and Verstappen in third.

A bit behind, Leclerc was stuck behind Bottas who couldn’t overtake Albon’, until lap 18, when both Bottas and Leclerc were finally able to pass the Williams.

On lap 20, Mick Schumacher had to retire his Haas. Second VSC of the race. Russell took advantage of it and stopped for hards, as did Carlos Sainz, coming out in third, behind Alonso, but overtook him to start his pursuit of Verstappen, now in first. A couple of laps later, Hamilton passed Alonso for third.

Alonso stopped on lap 29 for hards, coming out in seventh, behind Leclerc, who continued stuck behind Ocon.

On lap 42, Charles Leclerc was called to box. A problem with one of the tire guns cost him 5.3 seconds in his stop, coming out in 12th, ahead of Vettel, behind of Ricciardo.

A lap later, Verstappen was called to box, coming out in third, behind Hamilton. Up ahead, Sainz was now leading the race, again. On lap 45, Hamilton stopped again for another set of hards. The order was Sainz, Verstappen, Russell, Hamilton, Ocon, the top five. Leclerc passed a few cars and was 10th, behind Zhou. Meanwhile, Russell pitted, coming out in 4th, ahead of Ocon.

Leclerc was able to overtake a few cars, and on lap 48 was already 8th, albeit more than 10 seconds behind Bottas.

On lap 49, Yuki Tsunoda crashed at turn 2. Safety Car came out and Carlos Sainz stopped and came out second, just behind Verstappen. Both Alpines, stopped, as did Bottas and Zhou. Leclerc was now 7th.

The safety car ended on lap 55. Racing resumed. The top ten were separated by just 6.8 seconds. Two laps later, DRS was enabled and Sainz was right behind Verstappen. On Lap 58, Leclerc passed Alonso and sets his sights on Ocon. Whom he passed a lap later and was now 5th.

Fantastic and exciting last laps of the race between Verstappen and Sainz. But this Canadian Grand Prix belonged to Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz, who took the extra point for the fastest lap (1:15.749), finished second and Lewis Hamilton third. Charles Leclerc recovered from 19th on the grid to finish P5, he was voted Driver of the Day.

Later, the FIA informed that Fernando Alonso had been penalized for “weaving on the straight” (More than one change of direction to defend a position), dropping him to P9, behind Bottas and Zhou.

With this win, Max Verstappen passed Jim Clark and Niki Lauda for most career wins, and now he is ninth on that list.

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