FERRARI FANS SURE TO GIVE THEIR F1 RIVALS THE GEARS
Vettel gives team, a Montreal favourite, its first Canadian GP win since 2004
Let’s face it, this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix was never going to match the fairy tale of 40 years ago.
But the good news is it produced a happy ending for the preponderance of Ferrari fans packing the grandstands at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and that should be good enough.
Because if you’ve been paying attention, you know that this weekend was all about Ferrari.
Sure, Sunday’s Formula One race was by no means among the most scintillating. Far from it. And yet it’s fair to say the level of emotion rose to the occasion.
That began even before the go lights blinked as former champion Jacques Villeneuve led the current contingent of F1 drivers on a parade lap behind the wheel of the iconic No. 12 Ferrari in which his father won the inaugural Canadian Grand Prix in 1978.
“It was great,” Villeneuve said afterward. “Just to be sitting in his car and go in front of the crowd ... it was very special.”
Joann Villeneuve, standing next to her son, was visibly moved by the display honouring her legendary husband, who died in a crash during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.
“It was everything I wanted it to be,” she said.
“When I started thinking about organizing all of this, the goal was to give back the emotions to all those who lived them 40 years ago. I think I’ve succeeded. That warms my heart.”
At the finish line, next to the usual “Salut Gilles” painted on the pavement, the words “40 ans” were added for the occasion.
As for the race itself, the biggest action took place on Lap 1 — and unfortunately implicated Montreal native Lance Stroll, putting a premature end to his homecoming race.
Stroll lasted little more than 30 seconds as he lost control of the rear of his Williams and slammed into the Toro Rosso of Brendon Hartley, ending his day’s work, too.
Both drivers were able to walk away from the crash on their own steam. The racing stewards did not assign blame in the collision.
No question, Stroll’s early retirement put a damper on the proceedings, but Montreal has always been a Ferrari town — and up front Sebastian Vettel delivered what the tifosi had been hoping for.
Vettel pulled away from pole position and never looked back, holding the lead for 68 laps and crossing the finish line 7.376 seconds ahead of the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and 8.36 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
There was a tremendous roar from the crowd when the scarlet No. 5 car crossed the line — the first win by Ferrari in Montreal since 2004.
The win marks the 50th for the 30-year-old German in his F1 career and gives him the lead in the drivers championship by one point over Mercedes’ defending champion Lewis Hamilton, who finished fifth.
But that’s not what was on Vettel’s mind when he addressed international reporters during the post-race news conference.
“The points are important, but more important is winning the race here for Gilles, for the fans here and at home as well,” he said in Italian.
Vettel added he was dedicating the victory to the team and “the local fans who’ve waited long enough.”
The race ended with a bit of controversy as Canadian fashion model Winnie Harlow, given the task of waving the checkered flag, did so one lap early.
This might have caused confusion among spectators, but thankfully not among the drivers, who have other means to keep track of what lap they’re on.
Still, the flub prompted Vettel to radio his team on his final lap — the real one — and calmly suggest someone should be told it’s bad form to drop the checkered flag before the race is done.
Harlow was among several celebrities spotted in the paddocks during the weekend, including U.S. actor Michael Douglas and TV anchor Gayle King.
A handful of Montreal Canadiens also were on hand with team captain Max Pacioretty giving McLaren driver Fernando Alonso a lesson on shooting pucks in the paddocks. Upshot: Alonso should stick to racing.
Italian superstar soccer players Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci were seen hanging out in the Ferrari paddocks and appeared to have brought along their families.
“We’re on vacation,” Bonucci said, a painful truth for Italians around the planet.
Italy’s national team failed to qualify for the World Cup of soccer that is about to get underway in Russia.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante — evidently no fan of the internal combustion engine — made an appearance. No doubt she would have been heartened by the sight of Vettel arriving at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on a bike.
Away from the circuit, the perfect weekend weather brought out the crowds to take in the many events scattered around town, reinforcing the Grand Prix’s status as a marker of the unofficial start of summer.
So maybe the on-track action was not the most heart-stopping. But on this special red-banner anniversary, Ferrari fans will take it, grazie.
The points are important, but more important is winning the race here for Gilles, for the fans here and at home as well.