Canadian F1 Grand Prix 2022 Results: Max Verstappen Earns Win Ahead of Carlos Sainz
June 19, 2022
Carlos Sainz made things interesting, but Max Verstappen was not to be denied.
For the sixth time this season, Verstappen took the checkered flag, winning the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.
He had to hold off a stiff challenge from Sainz, who pushed him but couldn't overtake him before finishing second. And Lewis Hamilton finished third, reaching the podium for the second time this season.
The race came down to Verstappen and Sainz battling it out in the final 15 laps.
"It was really exciting at the end," Verstappen said in his post-race interview on ESPN. "I was giving it everything I had. Of course, Carlos was doing the same. Following is tricky around here, but I could see he was pushing, charging, pushing, charging. ... The last few laps were a lot of fun."
Sainz came very close to overtaking Verstappen on several occasions but couldn't quite pull past him.
"I tried everything to pass Max today," he said after the race. "But today we just didn't have enough pace delta to get close enough in the hairpin. ... But the positive thing is that we were quicker, we were faster in this race, just needed that little bit more to overtake him here."
While it was ultimately a frustrating result for Sainz, who's still seeking his first career F1 victory, it was a better afternoon for Hamilton, who reached the podium for the first time since Bahrain.
Formula 1 @F1LEWIS: "It's quite overwhelming to get this third place, it's been such a battle this year, but we continue to stay so vigilant and focused...<br><br>"They're a little bit too fast for us at the moment but we're getting closer, so we gotta keep pushing!"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanadianGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CanadianGP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://t.co/lD7rCISekY">pic.twitter.com/lD7rCISekY</a>
George Russell and Charles LeClerc rounded out the top five.
The safety car was required in the 50th lap, as Yuki Tsunoda went straight into the barrier. That made things interesting, though Verstappen staved off the drama, navigating an older pair of tires than Sainz had to secure the win.
He now holds a 46-point lead over Sergio Perez in the drivers' championship, while Red Bull is 76 points clear of Ferrari.
Up next is the British Grand Prix on July 3 at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN.