2010 Canadian Grand Prix

Lore & Background

After dominating the previous three races, it was widely expected that the Montreal circuit would not play to the Red Bull's strengths, with intense media speculation that the controversial crash between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber whilst fighting for the lead of the Turkish Grand Prix would only worsen the team's chances. However, while neither driver was prepared to accept full responsibility for causing the accident, both expressed a desire to forget about it and move on. None of the teams planned to introduce major updates for the race, though several brought customised packages specifically for the high-speed, low-downforce circuit. Those who had developed an 'F-duct' system for the previous race were still running it in the trial phase. This race was Scuderia Ferrari's 800th start in a World Championship event as a team.

In Their Own Story

Under the blistering Montreal sun, Sebastian Vettel navigated the final sector in his RB6, having just overtaken Mark Webber for second. The gap to leader Lewis Hamilton was closing; the roar of the crowd suggested a victory was within reach. Then, the tires screamed—a piercing whine signaling rubber disintegrating under pressure. Vettel's car shuddered violently as the right rear tire exploded, forcing him into a desperate, unscheduled pit stop that evaporated his dream of Montreal in a cloud of smoke and frustration. As the safety car lights flashed on, freezing time for the rest of the field, Hamilton swept past to reclaim the lead, turning Vettel's moment of triumph into a study in heartbreak.

Reader's Guide

The race was the first of the season in which all twenty-four cars started on the grid. Mark Webber was demoted from second place on the grid to seventh after Red Bull found iron filings in a sample of oil taken from the gearbox used in Webber's car during qualifying, necessitating a gearbox change under parc ferme conditions, resulting in a five-place grid penalty. The opening lap saw drama unfold before the field had even cleared the start gantry. While Lewis Hamilton won the drag race to the first corner, in the middle of the pack, Vitaly Petrov jumped the start and was forced onto the grassy verge as he attempted to go around the outside, resulting in a spin that forced Pedro de la Rosa to take evasive action; Petrov earned two drive-through penalties in the space of one hundred metres for his efforts and spent the rest of the race fighting with the new teams. Felipe Massa and Vitantonio Liuzzi made contact three times in one corner, with the Italian getting spun around in the process and sliding down the order. As Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso established the running order, Kamui Kobayashi and Nico Hülkenberg tangled on the run into the final corners. While the Williams driver cut the chicane to avoid further contact, Kobayashi was not as lucky.

Did You Know?

• This was the first Grand Prix to be held on the North American continent since the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
• The race was the first time since the 1991 United States Grand Prix that three former drivers' champions stood on the podium.
• It was the last 1–2 finish for the McLaren team until the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
• It was also the last time until the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix where British drivers finished first and second on the podium.
• The final result meant that Hamilton overtook both Button and Webber in the championship standings with six points covering the top three drivers.