Max Verstappen secures Red Bull's 100th Formula 1 victory at Canadian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen showcased his mastery behind the wheel as he secured a commanding victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, making history for Red Bull Racing by claiming their 100th win in Formula 1. The Dutchman's stellar performance saw him finish ahead of Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso, who managed to secure second place after an early sprint from Lewis Hamilton.

Starting from pole position, Verstappen got off to a lightning start and maintained his lead throughout the race. A quick getaway from Hamilton allowed him to momentarily challenge Alonso for second place before settling into third. Meanwhile, George Russell made an unfortunate exit after colliding with Turn 9 on lap 12.

The incident led to a full safety car deployment while debris was cleared from the track. During this period, most of the field took advantage of pit stops, allowing Alonso with better pace on hard tires to close in on Hamilton during the restart on lap 17.

Alonso wasted no time mounting his charge and skillfully overtook Hamilton just before entering the final corner of that lap reclaiming second position. With both drivers battling brake temperature management issues and tire strategies coming into play during rest stints it was clear that it would be difficult for anyone to challenge race leader Verstapen.

As laps went by, Verstappen continued extending his lead over Alonso while managing tire degradation concerns himself despite feeling slightly less comfortable with harder compound tires as compared to those used earlier in race start phases.

Hamilton initially tried closing down on Alonso but eventually ended up struggling due to the pace of his tires. In contrast, Alonso managed to maintain a strong and consistent performance, defending his position against Hamilton's relentless pursuit.

As the race approached its final stages, Verstappen continued to pull away from Alonso. Although there were fleeting moments where Alonso appeared to gain some ground on Verstappen during the closing laps, any hopes of catching up quickly faded as the Dutchman widened the gap even further.

Verstappen's victory not only solidifies his championship lead but also highlights Red Bull Racing's achievement in becoming just fifth team in Formula 1 history to reach 100 wins. A combination of exceptional driving skills and effective strategy execution ensured that Verstappen crossed the finish line with an impressive winning margin of 9.5 seconds ahead of Alsonso.

After claiming victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Max Verstappen expressed his delight at securing Red Bull Racing's landmark win:

"It incredible" said Verstappen. "The team has worked hard"

Reflecting on his race performance, Fernando Alonso praised both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for their spirited driving throughout.

With another dominant display under his belt, Max Verstapen now holds a healthy lead atop drivers' standings as Formula 1 heads into Austrian Grand Prix with Sprint Race 1 and 2 July.