Sebastian Vettel wins the Canadian Grand Prix

2013 Canadian Grand Prix summary

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Sebastian Vettel claimed his third win of 2013 in the Canadian Grand Prix.

Vettel held his advantage from pole position and pulled out a lead that never looked threatened despite a brush with the wall and an off-track moment at the first corner.

Fernando Alonso spent the race working his way up to second, passing Lewis Hamilton in the final stint. Hamilton lost time lapping the Force India of Adrian Sutil, who was given a drive-through penalty for not moving over quickly enough.

He wasn’t the only driver being frustrated by traffic. Mark Webber tangled with Giedo van der Garde at the hairpin, breaking the Red Bull’s front wing and leading to Van der Garde receiving a ten-second stop-go penalty.

Nico Rosberg was the only other driver to finish on the lead lead lap as Vettel put everyone up to sixth-placed Jean-Eric Vergne a lap down.

Next was Paul di Resta, who made a single pit stop on his way to seventh, a fine recovery after being eliminated in Q1 yesterday.

Felipe Massa passed a luckless Kimi Raikkonen for ninth on the penultimate lap, the Lotus driver suffering a string of misfortune. Sutil took the final point for tenth despite his penalty.

But Valtteri Bottas couldn’t convert his excellent qualifying performance into a points finish. Having started third he fell to 14th at the chequered flag.

2013 Canadian Grand Prix

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Image © Red Bull/Getty

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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63 comments on “Sebastian Vettel wins the Canadian Grand Prix”

  1. Ouch, great drive from Vettel but booed off the podium. Red Bull aren’t exactly popular around Canada (or anywhere else, for that matter). Maybe he’ll move to Ferrari just to increase his fanbase.

    1. @kingshark sounds like him. I think we just have to congratulate Red Bull for this weekend, but if nothing has changed in the car they will keep struggling in the long corners of pretty much any track from this point onwards. I think there’s hope for a 2012 turn around.

    2. Would say it was the Ferrari/Alonso fans booing at Vettel rather than the Canadian fans, don’t think the latter would be that disrespectful and impolite to not laud Vettel’s drive, which was well-controlled and very straightforward.

      1. Would say it was the Ferrari/Alonso fans booing at Vettel rather than the Canadian fans

        But the majority of Canadian Formula 1 fans are Ferrari fans.

        From where I live, I can guarantee you that most F1 fans in Canada support Ferrari, there are also quite a few that support McLaren; but I have yet to meet a single fan here in Canada who supports Red Bull, and I’ve met dozens of F1 fans.

        1. Ferrari have most fans all over the place bar Austria, Germany and England

          1. It’s the biggest band-wagon in all of sports. It has designated parking spots at all F1 venues, the Beranabeu, and Camp Nou.

        2. They were shouting for Hamilton a lot, as he is extremely popular in USA, Canada. Kingshark what happened to the practise pace. Im only messing with ya lol but you was like Alo is defo the man to beat he is the fastest. I enjoyed the race though Vet is class.

          Ham was superb, Ros really had me worried lately lol, but once Lewis is 100% on form, Nico has no chance over a season imo. Alo Ham battle was great somuch respect those guys have,it got close though lol.

        3. Count me as one Canadian that supports Red Bull. I’ll support great engineering rather than a brand name any day, and the RB9 is as great as all the other past cars put together by the team.
          Red Bull is relatively new to the sport compared to the likes of Ferrari, so it’s not all that surprising that Red Bull doesn’t have the same fan base.
          While after Malaysia, I’ve certainly lost respect for Vettel, the booing was completely undeserved. The guy is a racing genius – consistent, dependable and damn fast. Anyone pretending otherwise is kidding themselves. And let’s be fair here: every single driver competing at F1 level is a fantastic driver.

      2. Yea, it reminded me of that old joke:

        What do Alonso fans and striking Quebec university students have in common? – no class.

      3. <a href="http://en.espnf1.com/canada/motorsport/story/110701.htm
        Canadian ESPN reported that partisan Ferrari fans (Tifosi?) boo'ed Vettel

    3. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      10th June 2013, 14:38

      @kingshark To think Vettel can take a decision to move to Ferrari just for being booed (or cheered) sounds hilarious. I know some people say he’s “the Justin Bieber of F1” but nicknames or being booed don’t matter on the WDC

  2. For a moment I read the title of this article as “Sebastian Vettel wins the World Championship” and sadly I thought “yeah, that sounds about right”. On the whole this was another Vettel races into the distance snoozefest with some interesting stuff going on behind.

    On a different note, Adrian Sutil should be ashamed of himself. I had Sky’s Race Control open and the amount of time Hamilton was stuck behind him was disgraceful so purely on time (over 1/2 a lap) he deserved his penalty. However it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Sutil is taking his off track animosity on track .. and that’s not the action of a professional racing driver.

    1. Vettel is 36 points ahead of Alonso in the championship which isn’t that much really, it’s probably around 14 or 15 points in old money. It could take just one retirement or no score for Vettel in order for Alonso to close the gap.

      1. Thats assuming Alonso wins that race Vettel has a DNF. What if Alonso himself has a DNF?

        1. I’m hoping he finished his quota of DNFs in Malaysia. You’re right though.. another DNF could spell game over for Fernando.

      2. Ferrari still have the best car. If Alonso could have qualified where Bottas did he could have challenged for the win.

    2. Vettel-Red Bull wins are synonymous with boring wins, he’s been riding on a wave of the good branded luck for a while now. Probability says it wont last forever….I yearn for the race when VDG closes the door on Vettel clipping off part of his front wing, spoiling his race. But somehow these happenings always seem to be falling on Webbers side of the court. As has been said here, if a bad day for Vettel means 4th whereas means 6th, 7th 8th to DNF’s for his championship rivals and probability re-distribution does not come forth from the probability gods, then sadly Vettel is well on his way to his 4th title :(

      1. Well probability said the same thing last year and the year before. When that does not kick in maybe its time to admit that Vettel is as awesome as anyone in F1 right now and RB are generally speaking a better team than Ferrari or the others.

      2. Sour grapes are tasty in this one.

      3. Webber wasn’t even affected by Van Der Garde. He was just unable to keep up with his teammate, Alonso or Hamilton.

  3. Pretty obvious that Vettel would win today. His driving style and Red Bull’s strengths always made them strong at Canada. I’m bragging because I predicted so Friday. I think we’ve reached that part of the season where we can dare to say who’s going to win in every round.

    I like the circuit I like the layout, I liked the race, there was chance for good bits of dicing like in bahrain but in the end the victory belonged to Vettel, I think that fact started riot on the rate the race thread I see Canada getting a bad rating like bahrain, both circuits with great racing layout, a shame.

    A shame that a lot of cars got lapped and that Red bull’s traction and Vettel fit the glove perfectly. Nothing happened out of the ordinary apart from the astonishing 57 laps on the medium tyre by Di Resta. DRS worked too well as Alonso proved with his overtake on Hamilton after having a poor exit fromt the last chicane. Tyres did well, low lateral g’s here still too much longitudinal force for Mercedes and finally poor tactic decision with Rosberg. Bottas started very poorly but he did a good job in my opinion.

  4. I thought Monaco was just a bad track that didn’t suit their car, but now I believe its them falling behind Ferrari, Merc and RBR. I really hope Kimi joins Redbull next year and give Seb hell. he’ll be saying “he is too fast for me, what should I do???”

    1. he’ll be saying “he is too fast for me, what should I do???”

      Come on now, Kimi Raikkonen isn’t the type to complain about his mate Seb being faster :P

      1. haha! that’s a good one!

      2. Dizzy A. “give Seb hell” should tell what I mean. how u read otherwise is beyond comprehension

        1. @scuderia_fan85 I knew what you meant and was having a joke, but you know full well that Vettel would not be lagging behind Raikkonen.

          1. put it this way…I think Kimi would beat Sebastian more times than he loses or finishes behind him

    2. Traverse (@)
      9th June 2013, 23:47

      I really hope Kimi joins Redbull next year and give Seb hell.

      All you would see is a puddle of water in Raikkonen’s Cockpit, because the pure hellfire that emanates from Vettel would melt the Iceman’s inferior, languid being.

  5. Mclaren out of the points!!! first time in years, well at least Kimi is still on his run of point finishes.

    1. I get the slight feeling that most fans have something against McLaren, I see it in the common jokes and humour made about them during struggles and they’re not apparent when others like Ferrari have struggles, whatever view anyone has of them, their remarkable consistency has sadly coming to an end.

      Now having mentioned that, I can imagine the immense humanity from most fans when Kimi’s streak ultimately ends (it will end!).

      1. @younger-hamiii I don´t think so, after all Mclaren is one of “traditional” teams. Maybe fans are getting impatient with them, the “believe in Mclaren” is getting old and the form of the car this year isn´t helping…

  6. Was unimpressed with the decorum on the podium. Namely, Vettel being booed.

    Formula 1 unfortunately has a few ugly incidents like this in recent memory. Think of the pre-season racial abuse in 2008 directed at Lewis Hamilton, which I heard was repeated in Monza last year. Think of fans cheering Michael Schumacher’s accident at Silverstone in ’99 that caused severe injuries. Vettel being booed was less heinous than either of these (especially less heinous than anything Hamilton endured), but it’s a reminder that F1, sadly, has some really rude people that go to races that would make even the most ignorant-sounding NASCAR fans look like master’s degree scholars in comparison.

    I hope that changes.

    1. Think of fans cheering Michael Schumacher’s accident at Silverstone in ’99 that caused severe injuries

      Heard there were fans laughing at Schumi’s crash as well. How ridiculously tactless it is for people to laugh about someone breaking their leg. Just shows you how complex but sickening us human beings are competent of being.

    2. Agree 100%. I’m no fan of FA but when he wins I don’t boo at the TV (and surely wouldn’t boo him at an event!). I may not be a fan but I still respect him as a driver to realize his talent.

      SV should be given the same consideration.

    3. @rjoconnell +1….

      Could not agree more…. Shame on the Spectators and the Ferrari fans at the Podium ceremony.

  7. Anele (@anele-mbethe)
    9th June 2013, 22:02

    great race and vettel was just unbeatable every bit as dominant as the wins as Alonso has also had yet fans choose to boo him, classless from the fans in Canada

  8. I don’t understand why Gutierrez’s car couldn’t have just been left where it was for the last few laps with waved yellows at that corner. Still, at least the digger that rescued it didn’t breakdown.

  9. Soon Vettel will have this championship in the bag.
    None of the other cars are well rounded enough.

    1. Yup, as long as a bad day for Vettel means 3rd or 4th and a bad day for RAI/ALO/HAM means 6th, 7th or 8th then he’ll just keep racking up the points.

  10. Amazing how Mercedes seem to be so much better on their tires today… Monaco was just because no one could pass, but today showed they improved because of that “secret” test.. My feelings obviously but today was what I was waiting for to see if there was an improvement… There clearly was..

    1. because of that “secret” test

      The test was realy SECRET

  11. Even though I don’t like the result, since I’m in Alonso camp, I sincerely hope we don’t hear people moaning about tires anymore. I mean, these weren’t even the hardest compounds and drivers were still able to punish them properly. Be it driving slightly slower for 50+ laps on one set like Di Resta, or lapping like a maniac the whole race like Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton did in few stints.

    1. I sincerely hope we don’t hear people moaning about tires anymore.

      I don’t know, I’ve found the moaning about the tyres to be a refreshing change from the several-year-long whingefest about how “Newey’s cars are just too good!”

  12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vUiP25TCug&feature=youtu.be
    This seems to me a yellow-red flag, is Alonso allowed to overtake?
    No matter if Sauber car was about to be lapped, i think yellow flag has ppriority on the blue, but y-red?

    1. Yellow-red flag – track conditions have changed due to substances on the track which could reduce grip or cause a car to lose control—generally oil, coolant, small pieces of debris or sand.

      There are no passing restrictions.

    2. red-yellow is just a slippery surface warning

  13. Traverse (@)
    9th June 2013, 23:52

    Mercedes have definitely improved post Pirelli test; they’re not making their defence lawyer’s job any easier!

    1. Traverse (@)
      9th June 2013, 23:59

      I also just realised that this is the first time that the three best drivers in F1 have shared a podium together.

      1. @hellotraverse

        I also just realised that this is the first time that the three best drivers in F1 have shared a podium together.

        Austin 2012 was the first time Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton shared the podium.

        1. Traverse (@)
          10th June 2013, 0:47

          Of course, how could I forget the Stetsons! My bad :)

  14. What’s with Eddie Jordan cutting Vettel off before he had finished talking?

    Then he goes to Alonso and plays to the crowd by saying he nearly won it! What race was he watching?

    1. He is Eddie Jordan after all!!

    2. I was actually wondering who the fans were booing: Vettel or EJ, lol.

  15. I think lower-than-usual temperature and lack of high speed corner hided Mercedes and Red Bull’s tyre problem. I guess this is not the start of the dominance of Red Bull.(or Mercedes!)

  16. I thought Mercedes gained 23 seconds a lap on that test.
    I thought Red Bull couldn’t handle the tyres. Hum…
    Well, apart from Vettel’s driving i find impossible to like anything that comes from Red Bull team.

  17. Well, I must say that it was a very exciting race! Vettel as always had a care free race from the opening lap. Pretty boring from that point of view.
    Alonso and Ferrari were just phenomenal. Alonso fighting up to second was just amazing and a real joy to watch. I guess his perormance in this race will shut those people up whot criticized him for his “terrible” perormance in Monaco. Because of that “terrible” performance, he is now second behind herr Vettel in the WDC.
    Enough about that, now I want to adress something that really bugged me and I knew would be proven in Canada. A certain Mr. @robbie said to me in the threadthat :

    If your paranoia had any legs (the part about Merc, as we speak, developing new parts due to what they learned at the ‘secret’ test)


    So I was paranoid huh?? MERC seemed to be using a different front wing in Canada ( At least I think it was a bit different, it certainly looked different to me.) and they certainly did learn a lot from those 1000km! Everybody expected them to move back in Canada and Lewis only lost one place! Rosberg was another story but it´s funny how people love calling me paranoid and in the end it seems I was right! So much for MERC´s win in Monaco being due solely beause of a low deg track or MERC just being slow. They have the pace now and you can bet the farm that they have loads of insight to next year´s tyres.

  18. Did anyone understand what the fans were shouting to vettel while he was on the podium?

    1. I believe it was: Alonso!!! Alonso!!! Alonso!!! Alonso!!!

    2. Did anyone pay any notice to what Vettel talked about to E.J.?

      1. Not at all… It must´ve been the usual thought out speech; ” It was a tough race, yada yada yada…”
        How tough can it at the front with no one to challenge you and running in clean air?!

  19. i would say, it’s another vettel season, because simply this guy never run out of luck, always on the good side of things, either raikonnen is too far for a penalty,let’s see when he has dnf like others had before him giving him that advantage. i love this sport, but it’s becoming irritating how always a redbull is in the lead, or scoring points while others don’t, no competition!!!!

    1. If you never run out of luck than its not luck, its skill.

    2. So many sour grapes!

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