VERSTAPPEN HOLDS OFF SAINZ IN F1 WIN
Max Verstappen maintained his hold on the Formula One championship fight by holding off a late challenge from Carlos Sainz Jr. to earn his sixth win of the season in a fairly easy Sunday drive in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Verstappen won from the pole at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to extend his lead in the standings to 46 points over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who retired early with a gearbox issue.
“It’s still a very long way to go and I know the gap of course is quite big, but I also know that can switch around very quickly,” Verstappen said of his points lead. He noted he trailed Charles Leclerc by 46 points following the third race of the season.
The Dutchman had no trouble clearing Fernando Alonso, who earned his first front-row start in a decade then joked he’d attack Verstappen in the first turn to steal the victory.
But there was no challenge and by the time Sainz cleared Alonso for second on lap 2, Verstappen had already built a lead of 2.4 seconds. Sainz was able to close the gap over the final 10 laps and pressured the reigning F1 champion but faded on the last lap and finished .993 seconds behind in his Ferrari.
“It was good racing, it is always more enjoyable to be able to really push rather than just save your tires,” said Verstappen, who added Sainz didn’t have “a go in terms overtaking, but it was super close.”
Sainz said second was the best he could get on Sunday.
“When I gave it all, I was risking everything,” Sainz said. “I can tell you I was pushing.
I left everything out there. For the first time this season I can say I was fastest man on track, which gives me confidence and some hope for the next races.”
Mercedes had a tremendous rebound from its seasonlong struggles, which included a terrible Friday practice, as seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton scored his first podium since the season-opening race in March. George Russell was fourth as Hamilton beat his new teammate for just the second time in nine races this season.
“It feels great to be amongst the battle and at the end there I was keeping up with these guys. It does give me and the team a lot of hope,” Hamilton said.
Capps takes Bristol win
Carlsbad’s Ron Capps tied
Tony Schumacher for the most NHRA wins at Bristol Dragway history, racing to his sixth Funny Car victory at the track in the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Tennessee.
Capps powered to the quickest run during every round of eliminations, beating
Tim Wilkerson with a pass of 3.984 seconds at 324.36 mph for the first victory in a new Toyota GR Supra. The defending season champion won for the second time this season.
“It’s an amazing thing and I’m living the dream,” Capps said. “Today felt different because we worked really hard at this one, and we knew that win for Toyota was out there. Everyone wanted to get that first one in the Supra and I’m blessed we got to do it.”
Justin Ashley won in Top Fuel, Aaron Stanfield in Pro Stock and Jerry Savoie in Pro Stock Motorcycle in the ninth of 22 races in the NHRA Drag Racing Series season.