2022 F1 Canadian GP: Winners and Losers

The return of the Canadian GP saw Max Verstappen extend his lead in the championship as he picked up his sixth win of the season. His title rivals, on the other hand, did not have the best of weekends in terms of points: his teammate Sergio Perez retired due to a technical issue and Charles Leclerc did damage limitation by scoring P5.

The mixed conditions over the weekend meant that while some drivers and teams shined, others not so much. So, without further ado, let's see who the winners and losers of the 2022 Canadian GP were.

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Who won and who lost at the 2022 Canadian GP

Winner

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen was a runaway favorite from the time Charles Leclerc was forced to take the engine penalty. His win was never in doubt despite rather treacherous conditions on Saturday and even with Carlos Sainz snapping at his heels late in the race on Sunday. The reigning world champion gave us a measured drive as he extended his lead in the championship even further.

Loser

Max Verstappen's championship rivals

The Canadian GP was a worrying race for Verstappen's rivals in a way they might not have anticipated earlier. The Red Bull driver was not only dominant in the race, but also in the qualifying session on Saturday.

Sergio Perez was off the pace throughout the weekend before retiring while Leclerc was battling a back-of-the-grid start. The Canadian GP was as perfect as it could get for Verstappen. He now has a 46-point lead over his teammate, who still leads Leclerc by three points.

Winner

Mercedes/Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes is now only 30 points behind Ferrari in the championship. While the Italian team has spent the last few races stepping on its own foot, Mercedes has been keeping things simple and scoring the maximum possible points. A P3 finish for Lewis Hamilton and a P4 finish for George Russell on a weekend when the former had said that the car was going backwards is definitely something the German team will be celebrating.

Another positive for the team was the seven-time world champion's return to the podium steps. A result that was sealed by the Mercedes driver's qualifying position on Saturday. He displayed strong pace throughout the race and, in the latter stages of the race, appeared to have the measure of his teammate.

Loser

Aston Martin

Aston Martin had the potential to score a strong points finish this weekend; the car was capable of being the fourth or fifth fastest car all weekend. However, to score points in a race, a team needs to put all the moving variables together in perfect harmony.

At the Canadian GP, a wrecked qualifying meant that the British team could not do this and hence ended up with only a P10 for Lance Stroll when it could have been so much more.

Winner

Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz needed a strong result in the Canadian GP. Not only has the driver been low on confidence, but he's also not been the most consistent or fastest of drivers for that matter.

Even though it did take a well-timed safety car to slot him right back into contention, Sainz showed that he belonged at the front of the grid with Verstappen. This was the kind of result that would boost the confidence of a driver and Sainz will surely be hoping to build on this Canadian GP podium.

Loser

Fernando Alonso

Without a doubt, as long as it lasted, Fernando Alonso was the star of the Canadian GP. His P2 in qualifying was the weekend's biggest 'feel-good' moment.

The race was an entirely different story, though, as Alpine's lack of race awareness was quite visible. The two-time world champion suffered from a power unit issue, a poor strategy and, to make things worse, an ill-timed safety car that ruined his race.

Alonso has shown sparks of brilliance this season that have been unparalleled at times, but it appears as though the limitations of his surroundings have let him down.

It will be interesting to see how things change after the Silverston GP on July 3, 2022.