List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

British racing team Hitech Grand Prix have confirmed their bid to join the F1 grid for the 2026 season after announcing a major new investment deal. Hitech GP, who currently race in F2, F3 and F4, were reported to be one of a number of prospective new entries into Formula 1, alongside the likes of Andretti-Cadillac and Panthera Team Asia. Now, after announcing new investment with its parent company Hitech Global Holdings Limited selling a 25 per cent stake to Kazakh businessman Vladimir Kim, Hitech confirmed they have lodged a bid to the FIA to secure a spot in three years’ time. Hitech, based at Silverstone, stated in a press release that its F1 project was a “move that would complete its single-seater ladder and demonstrate that Hitech has all the right people, experience and resources to compete alongside the best teams in the world.” Kim, whose companies have previously sponsored Kazakh athletes such as champion boxer Gennadiy Golovkin, holds his main interests in the mining, banking and aviation sectors – with Hitech his first involvement in motorsport. “Motorsport has been a long-standing personal interest for me, and I am delighted to be entering into a partnership with an organisation that has enjoyed success in so many categories and has such ambitions for its future,” he said. “We have an established involvement with sport; however, this is our first global investment in motorsport. “Its dynamic appeal, growing exposure, business-to-business marketing opportunities and burgeoning fan base are aligned with my ambitions personally and commercially.” Hitech CEO Oliver Oakes added: “I am delighted to welcome Vladimir Kim to the Hitech group. “During our discussions we found many natural synergies and I know that his support will be invaluable as we seek to build on Hitech’s success and work towards achieving its broader ambitions over the years to come.” Audi are already confirmed to be joining the grid in 2026, taking over from the Sauber works team currently branded as Alfa Romeo, and announced their first test driver last week. Read More Audi name first driver to join F1 team ahead of 2026 season entry Inspired by Schumacher, meet the Hong Kong billionaire targeting a new Formula 1 team Why have Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney invested in an F1 team? Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to invest in F1 team ‘There will be crashes’: George Russell sends stark warning to F1 bosses

Wrexham owners and Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are part of an investor group that has bought a 24 per cent in F1 team Alpine. Renault, the Formula One team’s parent company, confirmed that Reynolds and McElhenney had joined RedBird Capital Partners, the US investment firm who own Italian football club AC Milan and also have stakes in Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, in the deal. The 24 per cent equity purchase of £171m values Alpine at around £706m and the team said they will hope to compete for the F1 championship following the increased investment. Alpine, who are based in Britain and were born after Renault rebranded its F1 outfit two years ago, finished fourth in the constructors championship behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes last season. Reynolds and McElhenney made their first steps into sports ownership when they announced a shock takeover of non-league side Wrexham in 2020. Under their ownership and alongside the popular documentary show Welcome to Wrexham, the Welsh side returned to the Football League with promotion last season following a memorable campaign. Hollywood actor and Creed star Michael B Jordan, who has a minority stake in Premier League team Bournemouth, and US-based Otro Capital are also among the new group of investors in Alpine, the team confirmed. Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi said: "This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels." Read More Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney insist they will not get bored at Wrexham Why Wrexham? How Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came to buy a club they’d never heard of

George Russell has warned about the realities of F1 banning tyre blankets for the 2024 season, insisting “there will be crashes”. Tyre blankets allow teams to heat their tyres to 70C for two hours before a grand prix session, with the result of more grip for the drivers coming out of the pits or at the start of the race. But to improve sustainability, tyre supplier Pirelli have been developing tyres that do not need pre-warming. Drivers have been testing dry-tyre versions, while the Monaco Grand Prix last month ran with blanket-free wet tyres. Yet Russell, who took part in a tyre test in Barcelona a few weeks ago, believes there are concerns about the prospective rule change for next year. “If I’m being totally honest, I don’t think we as a sport are at a position yet to bring these tyres into a racing scenario,” Russell said. "I would be very concerned for all the mechanics in the pit lane during a pitstop, I’d be very concerned for the out lap from a race in cold conditions. There will be crashes, I have no doubt about it. "And I think there’s a lot of work, expense, development going into these tyres. I feel like that could be put elsewhere." However, Pirelli insist its blanket-free slick tyres are raceable and the focus should instead switch on drivers changing their driving style to navigate their way around the circuit. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who also participated in the test, said his testing of the tyres went well but echoed Russell’s worries. “In lower temperatures, I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t tested these tyres in lower temperatures and that’s where the big question mark is. "So, very difficult to answer whether I will be happy to go. I would like to maybe test those tyres in different conditions and then see whether they are raceable in all conditions.” A decision on next year will be made after a final test, following the British Grand Prix in July, with Red Bull, Haas and Williams taking part. A vote amongst all 10 teams will then take place. Read More Audi name first driver to join F1 team ahead of 2026 season entry Are Red Bull now the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last? Sergio Perez ‘under threat’ at Red Bull with young star tipped to replace him

Mick Schumacher will appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month, driving his father Michael’s 2011 Mercedes car. Schumacher Jnr. joined the Silver Arrows at the start of this season as an F1 reserve driver, after he was dropped from his race seat at Haas following two seasons with the team. The German has been a regular in the garage at Formula 1 races worldwide alongside CEO Toto Wolff and is eyeing a route back into the sport next year. The 24-year-old tested this year’s W14 car at a Pirelli tyre test earlier this month in Barcelona but will now get another go behind the wheel of his dad’s 2011 car – the W02 – at Goodwood. "It’s going to be spectacular to run in my dad’s 2011 car, the W02, even if it is only a short run,” Schumacher said, ahead of appearing at the festival for the first time. “Just experiencing this generation of cars will be mega. Knowing that he raced this car makes it extra special, and there will be many emotions coming with it. "I have been lucky enough to drive one of his Benetton cars and some of the Ferraris he raced. But this will be the first time behind the wheel of a Mercedes he drove. I am sure I will get out of it with a big smile on my face.” The W02 was Michael’s penultimate car in Formula 1, as he retired a year later at the end of the 2012 season. Schumacher Snr. joined Mercedes in 2010, coming out of retirement after claiming seven F1 world championships, including five-in-a-row with Ferrari from 2000-2004. Fellow Mercedes reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez will also appear at Goodwood, driving Mercedes’ 2021 constructor-winning car – the W12. Also appearing at this year’s Festival of Speed is four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who will drive in cars exclusively powered by e-fuels. This year’s festival, taking place from Thursday 13 - Sunday 16 July, is the 30th anniversary of the event. Read More Are Red Bull now the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last? Max Verstappen aims to ‘keep winning’ after matching Ayrton Senna’s 41 victories Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes must now switch focus to haul in Red Bull

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan believes Max Verstappen will surpass Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton to be the greatest F1 driver ever. Red Bull driver Verstappen is a two-time Formula 1 world champion and is on track to make it three titles in a row. The Dutchman currently has a 69-point lead in the Driver Standings from team-mate Sergio Perez in second, having won six of the eight races this season. Verstappen most recently won in Canada and speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan admits he’s “bored to death” of his dominance and predicted the Dutchman will cement his legacy in the years to come. “Max Verstappen will emerge over time to be the greatest driver of all time,” Jordan said. “He’s that good. I don’t like the last couple of races, I have to tell you. I’m bored to death with him. He’s just that good. “He’s making it boring, more so than the Schumacher era.” Michael Schumacher, who won five-straight titles from 2000-2004 with Ferrari, is the all-time joint record-holder in F1 world titles, with Lewis Hamilton also on seven. Verstappen notched his 41th F1 win in Montreal, taking him level with the legendary Ayrton Senna, but is still behind Hamilton’s and Schumacher’s tally of 103 and 91 wins respectively. Red Bull have won every race in 2023 and, with both world championships seemingly wrapped up already at this early stage, the question now posed is whether Christian Horner’s team can win all 22 races this year and continue their dominance in the next few years. “Can we? Yes. Will we? Who knows, because there are so many variables in this game,” Horner told Sky Sports, when asked if Red Bull can win every race this season. “The team are doing an incredible job, Max is driving out of his skin as well at the moment, so just collectively the group are doing a tremendous job.” The team will next be in action at their home race at Austria’s Red Bull Ring next week before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone a week later. Read More Are Red Bull now the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last? Audi name first driver to join F1 team ahead of 2026 season entry Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes must now switch focus to haul in Red Bull Poignant Netflix film captures the many facets of legendary Schumacher What happened to Michael Schumacher and what’s latest health update? Schumacher’s F1 career highlights as Netflix documentary is released

Audi have revealed former Le Mans winner Neel Jani has joined the team as a simulator driver ahead of their 2026 Formula 1 entry. The German brand, owned by Volkswagen, announced last summer they would enter F1 under new regulations in 2026, building their own power unit in Bavaria. By October, a deal had been struck to take over the Sauber works team, currently branded as Alfa Romeo, in time for 2026. With preparations for their entry well underway, with Andreas Seidl leaving McLaren in December to join as the team’s new CEO, Swiss driver Jani has been announced as a driver to aid development on the power-unit with simulator work. Jani, 39, is a former F1 test and reserve driver for Red Bull and has driven in GP2, Formula E and Le Mans, which he won in 2016 with Porsche. “I am delighted to accompany Audi on their way into Formula 1,” said Jani. “It is both an honour and a great responsibility to be involved in a project of this magnitude at an early stage. “I am sure that with my experience from Formula 1 and LMP [Le Mans Prototype] projects I can forge good links between theory and practice.” Audi are aiming to test their first full power unit by the end of this year. “Just like in production development, simulation plays a major role in our Formula 1 project,” said Oliver Hoffmann, member of the board of management for technical development of Audi AG. “Our simulator is an important tool for the power unit development. It requires a development driver who in addition to a grasp of technology brings versatile experience to the project, especially in terms of energy management in racing conditions.” Audi are a confirmed entry for 2026 while the FIA are currently in the midst of a process of considering other prospective entries from the likes of Andretti-Cadillac, Hitcech GP and Panthera Team Asia. Read More Inspired by Schumacher, meet the Hong Kong billionaire targeting a new Formula 1 team Are Red Bull now the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last? F1 chief hails ‘exciting’ development with Honda set for grid return ‘We must learn’: Neymar incident could see F1 clampdown on grid access Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes must now switch focus to haul in Red Bull Are Red Bull the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last?

The FIA could clampdown on the number of people on grids before F1 races after a recent incident involving Neymar at the Spanish Grand Prix. The rise in popularity of the sport has brought about an increase in fans attending races as well as invited celebrities and VIPs in the paddock. However, this has also resulted in pre-race grids becoming busier than ever with little room to move, as often seen in Martin Brundle’s grid walks on Sky Sports before races. Now, the FIA are evaluating whether the number of people on grids is impacting safety after PSG and Brazil star Neymar was somehow still positioned at the edge of the grass on the main straight as the formation lap began in Barcelona on 4 June – as reported by Motorsport.com. Such topics were one focus of a meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council on Tuesday, who are also currently awaiting the results from a report into a track invasion from fans prior to the end of the Australian Grand Prix in April. The report is expected to be completed by the end of June. “We must take learnings from the incident at the Spanish Grand Prix,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “The FIA has been assured by Stefano Domenicali [F1 CEO] that measures are being taken to ensure that there is no repeat of the incident. “It is an issue not just in Formula 1 but also in Formula E and World Endurance Championship and other categories from my recent experiences with too many people on the grid at some events. “I have no doubt that in all cases, the promoter will adhere to the FIA requirements on safety and security. It is the duty of the FIA to ensure a safe environment for all. Safety in motorsport is the Federation’s main priority.” Neymar, who used to play for Barcelona, was one of many footballers attending the race in the city at the beginning of June, with Chelsea trio Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell and Reece James all present too. The 31-year-old also attended the Monaco Grand Prix the week before the race in Spain. Read More Are Red Bull now the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last? Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes must now switch focus to haul in Red Bull Saudi Arabia can help Chelsea solve headache — but talks raise more questions than answers Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes must now switch focus to haul in Red Bull Are Red Bull the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last? Lando Norris angry at penalty which cost him points in Canadian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes must start focusing on next season with Red Bull maintaining their march to F1 title glory this year. Max Verstappen secured victory at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday for Red Bull’s 10th-straight win – and nine from nine in 2023 – while the team also celebrated 100 wins in Formula 1. Christian Horner’s team now lead the constructors’ championship by 154 points to Mercedes, while Verstappen has a 69-point lead in the driver standings to team-mate Sergio Perez. Hamilton, who finished third in Montreal, was satisfied to be fighting with Verstappen and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at the top of the leaderboard but insists his team must now divert focus to 2024. "I reckon Max’s team are already working on next year’s car, so we need to take our eye a little bit off the ball and focus on next year also but happy to be up there,” he said. "For us to be up there, having battles with Fernando in the Aston, and being on the second row, it’s been great. To be on the podium two races in a row is really fantastic for us. "We were also running fourth in Monaco, so we’re definitely getting closer. And it’s going to be a battle of development over the rest of the season. Hamilton added that, as he continues to pursue a record-breaking eighth world championship, he yearns for the closely-fought battles of his 2021 title battle with Verstappen once again. "It’s likely that they [Red Bull] will win every race, moving forwards, this year, unless the Astons and us put a lot more performance on the cars, or their car doesn’t finish,” the Brit added. "It’s not easy with the regulations to find the amount of performance that they have, advantage-wise. They’ve got to be 30 [downforce] points upon us in certain points through the lap and we’ve got some work to do. "But it’s not that it’s frustrating – I’m happy to firstly be back in the mix and I’m just hoping at some stage we can have it all a little bit more level so we can get back to some of the good races we had back in 2021. To have all three of us in a super-tight battle would be sick." Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires at the end of this season but a new deal appears to be in the pipeline in the coming weeks. The 38-year-old will next be in action at the Austrian Grand Prix (30 June - 2 July) before his home race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a week later. Read More Are Red Bull now the most successful F1 team ever – and how long can this dominance last? Christian Horner details what makes ‘mega talent’ Max Verstappen so special Lewis Hamilton ‘excited’ to share Canada podium with two world champions Red Bull mastermind Adrian Newey hints at retirement: ‘It’s on a countdown’ Max Verstappen aims to ‘keep winning’ after matching Ayrton Senna’s 41 victories

Max Verstappen must be considered among the greatest drivers in Formula One history, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said, following the Dutchman’s landmark win at the Canadian Grand Prix. Verstappen’s emphatic lights-to-flag victory on Sunday was the 41st of his career, putting him level with triple world champion Ayrton Senna. Only Lewis Hamilton (103 victories), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) have won more races than Verstappen, who is still only 25. Verstappen, who started from pole in Montreal following a fine display in Saturday’s wet-dry-wet qualifying session, has triumphed at six of the opening eight rounds this year to open up a commanding 69-point championship lead. Fernando Alonso finished second for Aston Martin with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton third. “What we are witnessing with Max is the emergence of another mega talent,” said Horner. “You can start talking about him in the same sentence as the greats now after he matched Ayrton Senna. “I thought the podium today was very apt actually, in terms of the last couple of decades of Formula One, with Max, Fernando and Lewis up there. “Max just keeps delivering at such a high level. The race was fantastic but to take pole position in conditions that were continually changing, and his ability to adapt to whatever grip level he had, was Max at his best.” Verstappen has won four consecutive races and 15 of the last 19 in F1. Red Bull also remain unbeaten this year, and there remains a distinct possibility that the team from Milton Keynes could make history by winning every race in a single campaign. Hamilton recorded his second consecutive podium finish in his revamped Mercedes machine, but despite the Silver Arrows’ upturn in form, and with 14 rounds still remaining, the seven-time world champion believes Red Bull could complete a perfect campaign. “I know what I am faced with and there is nothing I can do about Red Bull’s amazing performance,” said Hamilton. “It is likely that they will win every race this year unless the Aston Martins and us can provide a lot more performance or if their car doesn’t finish. “It is not a frustration. We have got work to do and I am happy to be back in the mix and I am just hoping that at some stage we are level so we can get back to some of the good races we had in 2021.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen aims to ‘keep winning’ after matching Ayrton Senna’s 41 victories Max Verstappen claims pole position during rain-hit qualifying for Canadian GP Lewis Hamilton fastest as practice for Canadian Grand Prix finally gets started

Max Verstappen must be considered among the greatest drivers in Formula One history, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said, following the Dutchman’s landmark win at the Canadian Grand Prix. Verstappen’s emphatic lights-to-flag victory on Sunday was the 41st of his career, putting him level with triple world champion Ayrton Senna. Only Lewis Hamilton (103 victories), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) have won more races than Verstappen, who is still only 25. Verstappen, who started from pole in Montreal following a fine display in Saturday’s wet-dry-wet qualifying session, has triumphed at six of the opening eight rounds this year to open up a commanding 69-point championship lead. Fernando Alonso finished second for Aston Martin with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton third. “What we are witnessing with Max is the emergence of another mega talent,” said Horner. “You can start talking about him in the same sentence as the greats now after he matched Ayrton Senna. “I thought the podium today was very apt actually, in terms of the last couple of decades of Formula One, with Max, Fernando and Lewis up there. “Max just keeps delivering at such a high level. The race was fantastic but to take pole position in conditions that were continually changing, and his ability to adapt to whatever grip level he had, was Max at his best.” Verstappen has won four consecutive races and 15 of the last 19 in F1. Red Bull also remain unbeaten this year, and there remains a distinct possibility that the team from Milton Keynes could make history by winning every race in a single campaign. Hamilton recorded his second consecutive podium finish in his revamped Mercedes machine, but despite the Silver Arrows’ upturn in form, and with 14 rounds still remaining, the seven-time world champion believes Red Bull could complete a perfect campaign. “I know what I am faced with and there is nothing I can do about Red Bull’s amazing performance,” said Hamilton. “It is likely that they will win every race this year unless the Aston Martins and us can provide a lot more performance or if their car doesn’t finish. “It is not a frustration. We have got work to do and I am happy to be back in the mix and I am just hoping that at some stage we are level so we can get back to some of the good races we had in 2021.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Horner details what makes ‘mega talent’ Verstappen so special Max Verstappen aims to ‘keep winning’ after matching Ayrton Senna’s 41 victories Max Verstappen claims pole position during rain-hit qualifying for Canadian GP

At the moment it seems a grand prix does not go by without Red Bull – and their peerless linchpin Max Verstappen – setting milestones and breaking records. Such is their dominance in Formula 1 right now, winning 18 of the last 19 races, the double-symphony of the Dutch and Austrian national anthems on the podium is as much a regularity these days as five red lights going out to start the race. But Canada really did take the biscuit. Red Bull’s 100th race victory; Max Verstappen’s 41st grand prix win, equalling Ayrton Senna’s record; Verstappen brought up 250 consecutive laps led, dating back to Miami six weeks ago; Red Bull’s 10th consecutive victory, including Abu Dhabi at the end of last year. It was notable who was on the podium, too, celebrating Verstappen’s 20th win in his last 27 races. Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s mastermind-in-chief, who was unofficially celebrating his 200thF1 race win involvement, dating back to his first in Mexico 32 years ago. The man extolled, appropriately, with engineering the team’s latest RB missile on four wheels. By this season’s standards, Verstappen’s win in Montreal was far from a cruise. Qualifying on Saturday was tricky in wet-dry-wet conditions. But Max prevailed. An early safety car bunched the pack up on Sunday. But Max prevailed. Tyre wear was an issue in the cockpit with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton chasing; not on the pit wall who again oozed perfectibility. Again, Max prevailed. No 100 is a significant landmark for the team. An “incredible achievement”, as Christian Horner put it, becoming the fifth team to reach such a figure. When he spearheaded Red Bull’s involvement by taking over Jaguar in 2004, surely even he could not have forecasted such periods of dominance, up against the historic titans of world motorsport. Red Bull have won 28.1% of all the races they’ve entered in the sport as they hit a century. By way of comparison, Ferrari have won 242 races in 1060 – a hit-rate of 22.8%. McLaren’s is lower at 19.6%; Williams’ fewer still at 14.4%. But Mercedes at 44.8% beat the lot. Such was their near-decade of utter dominance – eight constructors’ titles in a row from 2014-2021 – Red Bull have some way to go before their percentage hit-rate matches the Silver Arrows. Currently, the difference is 16.7%. MOST WINS IN FORMULA 1 – 100 CLUB 1) Ferrari – 242 (22.8% hit-rate) 2) McLaren – 183 (19.6% hit-rate) 3) Mercedes – 125 (44.8% hit-rate) 4) Williams – 114 (14.4% hit-rate) 5) Red Bull – 100 (28.1% hit-rate) There are contentious points. For example, included in Mercedes’ tally is the nine wins from 1954-55, technically a different entity to the current works team. Yet on the whole, the difference is stark. But not insurmountable. It’s important to note this with caution. Predicting dynasties in sport is always a dangerous game: jump the gun on a Formula 1 forecast and the usual unpredictability of natural drama and human emotion can come back to bite you. Ferrari, for instance, have won just one drivers’ title in 16 years since their five-on-the-spin with Michael Schumacher in the early noughties. However, the outlook is particularly shiny at Milton Keynes. Red Bull have unequivocally nailed the current “ground-effect” regulations, not least due to Newey’s expertise in the area. This year is virtually sewn-up, with focus already switching to 2024 when they will be the heavy favourites once more. The next phase of regulations are not enforced until 2026. By that point, with Newey having recently signed an extension to stay, Red Bull could have secured another three world titles. It could be another 50 or so wins by that point, such is the current trajectory. And from then, the launch of their own powertrains division comes to fruition, with American giant Ford as a partner. In the constantly-shifting arms race that is Formula 1, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Ferrari and the rest – including new teams such as Audi – may well have something to say about that. Indeed, Red Bull have recently lost a key figure in engineer Rob Marshall, who joins McLaren next year. Dan Fallows similarly joined Aston Martin last year. Newey’s omnipresence is the unignorable advantage. Yet as the sun set in Canada on another victory, did the 64-year-old give Red Bull a scare? And the rest of the paddock a glimmer of hope? “My career can’t go on forever,” he said, post-podium. “As long as the team wants me and I keep enjoying it I’ll keep going. “But realistically it’s on a countdown.” When that time will be, only he knows. What is not in question, however, is the absolute supremacy of this current Red Bull machine. From top-to-bottom, they now set the benchmark. The statistics of the past allude to that; the projection for the future indicate there could be plenty more to come. Read More Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix to match F1 legend in race wins Red Bull mastermind Adrian Newey hints at retirement: ‘It’s on a countdown’ Lando Norris angry at penalty which cost him points in Canadian Grand Prix ‘It’s on a countdown’: Red Bull mastermind Adrian Newey hints at retirement F1 Canadian Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and lap times from Montreal

Max Verstappen completed another crushing performance in Canada on Sunday to match Ayrton Senna’s tally of 41 victories – and then promised to keep the good times rolling. A day after taking pole position in the wet, Verstappen reigned supreme in the dry at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to beat Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton and move into joint fifth in the pantheon of Formula One winners. Even an early collision with a bird could not stop the flying Dutchman, with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealing that his star driver completed the majority of Sunday’s 70-lap race with part of the animal lodged in his brake duct. Verstappen will not celebrate his 26th birthday until September, but his sixth victory from the opening eight fixtures of the year leaves only Hamilton (103), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) ahead of him in the record books. “When I was a little kid driving go karts, I was dreaming about being an F1 driver and I would never had imagined I would win 41 grands prix,” said Verstappen, who also notched up Red Bull’s 100th victory in the sport. “To tie with Ayrton is incredible and I am proud of that but I hope it doesn’t stop here. I hope we keep on winning more races. “It is also a great achievement for the team. We knew this was the first opportunity to win 100 races. I am happy that is done, but I hope we will win more than 100 so the new target is 200.” Remarkably, Verstappen has won 15 of the last 19 races in F1, with Red Bull failing to taste victory on just one occasion in that streak. Red Bull could yet become the first team to win every race in a single season. And with Verstappen at the wheel – rather than team-mate Sergio Perez who finished only sixth on another trying weekend for the Mexican – they have every chance. Verstappen’s triumph – his fourth in succession – was all but sealed on the short dash to the opening chicane after he fended off a slow-starting Alonso. Hamilton, who gazumped Alonso, set his sights on Verstappen’s Red Bull gearbox, but by the end of the opening lap, the seven-time world champion was eight tenths back – and when a virtual safety car was deployed on lap eight after Logan Sargeant broke down in his Williams, the gap was the best part of three seconds. With Verstappen racing off into the distance, Alonso was the filling in a Mercedes’ sandwich. But that changed on lap 12 when George Russell slammed into the wall on the exit of Turn 9. Russell’s front wing snapped in half, while his right-rear tyre dangled off his Mercedes. With debris littering the circuit, the safety car came out and the main players stopped for new tyres as Russell pulled in for repairs. After changing all four tyres, Hamilton was released into Alonso’s path. Alonso said he had to slam on the anchors to avoid running into the back of the Mercedes man, and the flashpoint was duly noted by the stewards, and latterly investigated, but the British driver would escape without punishment. The safety car came in five laps later and Verstappen executed a fine getaway to leave Hamilton trailing. Indeed, after the opening two turns, he was already one second up the road. Rather than looking ahead, Hamilton’s attention was occupied by Alonso behind. And on lap 22, the Spaniard dived past Hamilton with a fine move at the final chicane. Hamilton had a nibble back at Alonso as they raced to the opening corner, but the evergreen Spaniard held his nerve to keep the Mercedes man behind. Russell raced back from last to eighth before he was forced to park a Mercedes riddled with excessive brake wear with 15 laps remaining. Verstappen took the chequered flag 9.5 sec clear of Alonso. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished fourth and fifth respectively for Ferrari. Alex Albon crossed the line a commendable seventh in his Williams. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen claims pole position during rain-hit qualifying for Canadian GP Lewis Hamilton fastest as practice for Canadian Grand Prix finally gets started Max Verstappen closes in on ‘amazing achievement’ of matching Ayrton Senna