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The Canadian GP saw a clinical performance by Max Verstappen as he kept a calm head and executed the race perfectly. Sure, there was a late challenge from Carlos Sainz but even that did not face the reigning world champion. Verstappen has now extended his lead in the championship to 46 points and is on a run of five wins in six races.
So, after a Canadian GP weekend that featured rain and sun in equal measure, what did we learn? Let's find out.
#1 The 22-race calendar is Ferrari's only hope
Ferrari had the fastest car in the Canadian GP. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz both admitted that. But the key player that could have gone head-to-head with Max Verstappen was making his way through the field because of a penalty.
If everything aligns and the Italian team is able to give Charles Leclerc the opportunity to fight against Verstappen, he will deliver them the poles, wins, and even the championship. Having said that, the Maranello-based squad is going through a rut and will be hoping that the 22-race calendar gives the team enough time for a comeback.
#2 Mercedes' British GP upgrade might be just what it needs
Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were within spitting distance of the race pace of Red Bull and Ferrari during a few phases of the Canadian GP. It is quite obvious that Mercedes does not have the speed to fight the frontrunners but when it hits the sweet spot, it gets closer to them.
The team will bring its next major update to the British GP. If the new upgrade does its job, could we be looking at a scenario where Mercedes is able to set up the car better than it does right now and extract more performance from the car? The British GP upgrade could just be the final piece of the puzzle for Mercedes and it will be worth keeping an eye out for.
#3 The Old Guard is not done yet
Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, Fernando Alonso at Alpine, Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. The three drivers, all former multiple world champions and closer to the end of their careers, have certainly faced doubters this season.
Vettel was earmarked as one that lacked motivation, and Alonso's points tally against Esteban Ocon was seen as a sign of decline, while Hamilton's issues have been well documented anyway. At the Canadian GP FP3, in wet conditions, Alonso and Vettel were trading fastest times. At the Canadian GP podium, Lewis Hamilton stood tall after beating George Russell in a straight fight. Over the last weekend, these three legends showed that the old guard still had some life left.
#4 The porpoising debate might get ugly
Toto Wolff's rather atypical outburst after the team principals' meeting was one of the highlights of the weekend. Mercedes has been the most vocal team against the bouncing in F1 cars.
The German team has been accused of citing driver safety as a way to benefit from potential rule changes concerning porpoising that it has been calling for. However, it seems as though the new FIA directive might end up doing more harm to Mercedes than either it or its rivals had thought.
It remains to be seen how the directive on porposing will be implemented by the FIA, but we can be certain that there is a lot more drama and politics to come, and like most things in F1, it is bound to get ugly.
It will be interesting to see how things develop at the British GP in July.
