Agencies
MONTREAL, June 11: Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix for the third straight year for the Red Bull star's 60th Formula 1 victory and sixth in nine races this season. Verstappen started second in the rain alongside pole-sitter George Russell and dominated late again at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Ile Notre-Dame on Sunday. The 26-year-old Dutchman has a staggering 50 victories in the last 75 F1 races. Verstappen finished 3.879 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in the 70-lap race on the 2.71-mile (4.36-kilometer) road course. Last year, Verstappen started from the pole and led every lap. The race Sunday started with a soaking wet track before the sun emerged 10 minutes in, but rain showers returned periodically throughout the afternoon.
"It's a lot of fun to drive these kinds of races now and then," Verstappen said. "You don't want it all the time because that's too stressful. But I had a lot of fun out there today."
Norris lost a 10-second lead when Logan Sargeant brought put the safety car on Lap 26.
"We should have won the race today and we didn't so, frustrating," Norris said. "We had the pace. We should have won today. It's as simple as that."
Mercedes took the third and fourth spots, with Russell third and seven-time Montreal winner Lewis Hamilton fourth. Oscar Piastri was fifth for McLaren, followed by Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the lone Canadian in the race.
"It was a tough track with the condition, so I'm really satisfied to score points," Stroll said.
"Lots of points, the sixth and seventh positions are really good for the team."
Verstappen increased his season lead to 56 points over second-place Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.
"As a team, we made the right calls today," said Verstappen, coming off a sixth-place finish in Monaco.
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