Mercedes may have dominated the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada, but there were plenty of fluctuations in fortune behind them. Williams finally got the better of Ferrari. Lotus suddenly looked a force to be reckoned with. McLaren endured a dismal race - even by their own trying 2015 standards. And last year’s winner Daniel Ricciardo failed to score a single point. We take a team-by-team look at Sunday’s formbook in Montreal…
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, P1 Nico Rosberg, P2
As the leader, Hamilton had the clear air but greater drag, which meant he had to focus at times on ‘lift and coast’ fuel saving. Rosberg, meanwhile in running second, was able to save fuel in Hamilton’s slipstream, but found his brakes getting hotter because of the reduced airflow behind his team mate. So it was swings and roundabouts as they slogged it out at the front in a nip and tuck battle.
In the end, things went Hamilton’s way, while Rosberg said that losing pole by a fraction proved to be the decisive aspect of his race. Nevertheless, Mercedes still scored yet another one-two as Hamilton surpassed Nigel Mansell as the Briton to lead the most laps in Grands Prix.
1 / 5
Williams
Valtteri Bottas, P3 Felipe Massa, P6
Williams got their strategy just right, switching Bottas from an intended two-stopper to a single stopper. That enabled the Finn to take their first podium of the season when Raikkonen spun, which was a much-needed boost. Massa, meanwhile battled up superbly from 15th to sixth, giving the team a good haul of points to cement its third place overall.
Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, P4 Sebastian Vettel, P5
Ferrari once again were unable to show their true pace. Raikkonen couldn’t quite grab second at the start and then fairly quickly lost touch with the Mercedes despite his upgraded engine. Then, after his first pit stop he unaccountably spun exiting the hairpin - as he did last year. The team think it may have been something odd in the SF15-T. That lost him the chance of a podium. Vettel, meanwhile, struggled a little in the early traffic as he fought up from 18th on the grid, so he too was unable to show what he might have been able to do as he climbed to 5th.
Lotus
Pastor Maldonado, P7 Romain Grosjean, P10
At last Lotus got both cars home in the points, and Maldonado broke his 2015 duck with a decent, uncomplicated drive to seventh. Grosjean could have been sixth, possibly even fifth, but moved over too soon on Stevens after lapping him on the approach to Turn 14, and caused both to veer into the pit lane. The Frenchman later conceded that the collision had been his fault, and it earned him five seconds on his race time.
Force India
Nico Hulkenberg, P8 Sergio Perez, P11
But for a spin in Turn 14 while battling for position with Vettel - which he later suggested he might have been better off not pushing so far - Force India might have taken sixth courtesy of Hulkenberg. The German was in fine form in a car whose working life isn’t quite yet over, but Perez, the star of Monaco, was unhappy throughout with his VJM08’s behaviour.
Red Bull
Daniil Kvyat, P9 Daniel Ricciardo, P13
Red Bull looked a shadow of the team for whom Ricciardo won the 2014 race. Kvyat couldn’t better ninth, while the Australian said he was completely confused by the lack of performance in his car throughout a very tough race.
1 / 5
Toro Rosso
Carlos Sainz, P12 Max Verstappen, P15
Toro Rosso, like Red Bull, lacked pace, mainly because of Renault’s woeful straight-line performance. If Monaco had been good for them, Montreal assuredly was not, simple as that.
Sauber
Marcus Ericsson, P14 Felipe Nasr, P16
Sauber lacked sheer pace, and Nasr was also bothered by brake problems and power loss, but Ericsson was in feisty form and after losing a dramatic battle early on with the much faster Massa, held off the charging Verstappen to the flag.
Marussia
Will Stevens, P17 Roberto Merhi, Retired lap 58, driveshaft
Stevens brought his car home despite the unprovoked attack from Grosjean which required a new nose as the front wing was damaged, but for once Marussia lost a car when Merhi’s broke a driveshaft.
McLaren
Jenson Button, Retired lap 55, exhaust Fernando Alonso, Retired lap 45, exhaust
On a circuit they knew wouldn’t suit them, McLaren struggled with fuel saving issues and Button’s need to serve a drive-through penalty in the opening three laps. Neither driver finished, each having a different issue with their exhausts.
