Max Verstappen won the race that no one expected him to win, dealing a blow to McLaren and Ferrari, according to RacingNews365’s Nick Golding. Max Verstappen’s triumph in the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix is significant not only because it extends his championship lead to 56 points, but also because Red Bull were not the favourites. Prior to F1’s visit to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari and McLaren were tipped as favourites for victory, following Red Bull’s major troubles at circuits where managing bumps and kerbs is critical. While Verstappen won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix earlier this season, it was the first clear indication that the RB20 has two significant flaws, which were exploited in Monaco.
The RB20 struggles to perform over bumps and kerbs, but Verstappen’s pure talent and brilliance earned him the pole and a close victory at Imola. Even Verstappen’s Red Bull was unable to win in Monaco, with a podium finish out of reach. Fifth was all he could salvage from the iconic streets of the Circuit de Monaco. Red Bull’s vulnerability opened the door for Ferrari and McLaren, both of which had cars capable of outperforming the RB20 on challenging ground. Because of this, plus Ferrari’s record one-three in Monaco, the Italian manufacturer was the favourite heading into the Canadian Grand Prix, closely followed by McLaren.