Max Verstappen Wins Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, Lando Norris Second
The Dutchman finished with a 9-second advantage despite an early safety car. Sergio Perez retired on lap 15 due to gearbox issues.
Max Verstappen won the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, Lando Norris second: the champion's return
The fifth round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix, ended with a long-awaited victory for Max Verstappen of Red Bull. The Dutch driver finished with a 9-second advantage despite an early safety car and challenging weather conditions at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Lando Norris in the McLaren took second place, while Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari completed the top three. Sergio Perez, Verstappen's teammate, retired on lap 15 due to gearbox issues, a serious blow to Red Bull's ambitions in the constructors' championship.
Main Event
The Canadian Grand Prix is traditionally one of the most unpredictable rounds on the Formula 1 calendar. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located on the artificial island of Notre-Dame in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, is known for its challenging layout, walls close to the track, and changeable weather. This year, organizers included a sprint race in the program for the first time, adding extra headaches for drivers and teams. The weekend started well for Red Bull — Verstappen felt confident in practice, although he was slightly behind the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in pure speed.
The start of the main race on Sunday, May 24, was tense. Verstappen, who qualified second, lost a position at the first corner to the more aggressive Antonelli. However, the Italian didn't stay in the lead for long — by lap three, Verstappen capitalized on a mistake by his rival in the chicane and reclaimed the lead. The key moment of the race came with the safety car deployment on lap 7 after a collision between two backmarkers. This mixed up all strategies: some teams, including Red Bull, decided to pit immediately for tire changes, while others, like McLaren, chose to stay out.
After the restart, Verstappen was flawless. The Dutchman methodically built a gap to the pursuers, running laps with remarkable consistency. His advantage over Norris, who was second for a long time, fluctuated around 4-5 seconds, but after Verstappen's second pit stop on lap 35, the gap grew to 9 seconds. Lando Norris, despite desperate attempts to catch the leader, could not close the gap — McLaren struggled with rear tire wear over the long distance. Third across the line was Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari, who arguably drove his best race of the season, managing to overtake teammate Lewis Hamilton in the final phase of the race.
Drama unfolded in the Red Bull camp as early as lap 15, when Sergio Perez's car unexpectedly slowed on the straight. The Mexican reported a loss of power and strange noises from the gearbox over the radio. Mechanics tried unsuccessfully to revive the car remotely, but Perez was forced to pull over and retire early. For Perez, who has been struggling to adapt to the new regulations this season, this retirement was his third in the first five races of the championship, casting doubt on his future with the team.
Details and Statistics
Verstappen finished with a total time of 1 hour 34 minutes 28 seconds, beating Norris by 9.047 seconds. Leclerc was 14.892 seconds behind the winner, his best result of the 2026 season. The top three were completed by Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Carlos Sainz (Williams), who sensationally moved up from 11th place thanks to a successful one-stop strategy.
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | — |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +9.047 s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +14.892 s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | — |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | charge from 11th |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | brake issues |
| DNF | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | retirement (lap 15) |
This victory was Verstappen's 46th career win and his first of the 2026 season. The Dutchman had not stood on the top step of the podium for a long time — his last win came at the final round of last season in Abu Dhabi. Interestingly, Verstappen also celebrated victory in Canada in 2023 and 2024, so the Montreal circuit is clearly a lucky one for him.
Lando Norris, finishing second, confirmed that McLaren continues to progress. The Briton set the fastest lap of the race — 1:15.482 on lap 54 — earning him an extra point. However, his teammate Oscar Piastri finished only sixth due to front brake heating issues, costing the team valuable points in the constructors' championship.
Sergio Perez retired on lap 15 due to a gearbox failure. This is the Mexican's second technical retirement of the season — he previously failed to finish in Jeddah due to hydraulic issues. As a result, Red Bull lost crucial points in the battle with Mercedes and Ferrari for the constructors' championship. Perez's Cadillac (the team changed its name before the 2026 season) has not yet commented on the cause of the failure, but technical director Pierre Waché hinted that the problem may be related to a new gearbox specification that the team tried for the first time in Montreal.
A small bonus for weather statistics enthusiasts: despite a rainy practice on Friday, the race itself took place in dry conditions, which is rare in Montreal. The last completely dry Canadian Grand Prix was in 2022. The normal weather allowed all drivers to use slicks, but the low track temperature — just 18 degrees Celsius — made tire management a true art.
Context and Significance
For Max Verstappen and Red Bull, this victory was a powerful psychological boost. The Milton Keynes-based team had a very poor start to the 2026 season — after four rounds, they had no wins, while young Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes won three consecutive Grands Prix and confidently led the championship. Verstappen, accustomed to dominance in previous years, found himself in the role of the chaser, adding intrigue to the championship.
Perez's retirement and Verstappen's first win could be a turning point in the distribution of roles within Red Bull. The Mexican joined the team as the ideal second driver, but a string of failures this season has management considering a replacement. Red Bull has a talented reserve driver, Liam Lawson, and if Perez does not improve in the coming races, his seat could be at risk by mid-season.
As for the championship race, Verstappen reduced the gap to leader Antonelli to 15 points. After five rounds, the drivers' standings look like this:
| Driver | Team | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 106 | 3 |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 94 | 1 |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 91 | 1 |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 78 | 0 |
For the first time in many years, four drivers from three different teams are in the fight — real intrigue.
In the constructors' championship, Mercedes continues to lead thanks to consistent performances from Antonelli and Russell, who, despite not finishing in Canada due to technical issues, brought the team many points in previous rounds. Red Bull and Ferrari are almost neck and neck, trailing the leader by 20 and 22 points respectively.
What's Next / Next Race Preview
The next round of the Formula 1 World Championship will take place in just two weeks — from June 5 to 7 on the legendary street circuit in Monaco. The Monaco Grand Prix is considered the most prestigious and challenging round on the calendar: the narrow streets of the principality, no runoff areas, and a unique qualifying format where pole often means victory. For Red Bull and Verstappen, Monaco will be a serious test — in past years, the Dutchman has not always felt comfortable on this track, although he did win here in 2023.
For Sergio Perez, Monaco could be a last chance to prove his worth. The Mexican traditionally performs well on street circuits — it was in Monaco that he scored his first Formula 1 victory in 2022. If Perez again fails to score points due to an error or technical issues, rumors of his replacement at Red Bull will grow even louder.
Mercedes arrives in Monaco as the favorite. The short, winding streets are ideal for a car with high downforce, and Kimi Antonelli, despite his youth, has already proven he can extract the maximum from the car in any conditions. However, the experience of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, for whom the home Grand Prix in Monaco is always a special motivator, makes the upcoming race unpredictable.
Editorial Forecast
Verstappen's win in Canada is not a fluke but a natural result of Red Bull's work on their mistakes. The team has finally resolved the balance issues that plagued them in the early rounds and given Verstappen a car with which he can fight for wins. In Monaco, where qualifying and the driver's ability to feel the car at the limit are paramount, Verstappen will be a serious contender for pole and victory.
Nevertheless, our forecast advantage goes to Mercedes. The narrow Monaco track neutralizes the engine power advantage, bringing aerodynamic efficiency and suspension work to the forefront. Mercedes has historically been strong in this area, and Antonelli and Russell have proven in this season's qualifying sessions that they can extract the maximum from the car on a single fast lap. If Kimi Antonelli takes pole in Monaco, holding it throughout the race will be extremely difficult.
As for the championship race in the long term, we expect that by mid-season, Verstappen and Red Bull will regain the lead. The Milton Keynes team has the resources and experience to dominate the second half of the championship, as they have done many times before. However, the 2026 season promises to be the most competitive in recent years — McLaren and Ferrari have joined the fight, and young Antonelli is proving that his success is not a fluke but the result of immense talent and the work of the best engineering school in Formula 1 history. There are only four rounds left until the summer break, and each one will be decisive.
— Editorial Team
