Max Verstappen Won the F1 Canadian Grand Prix with a Bird Stuck in His Car

Max Verstappen’s win at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday was smooth sailing.

Not so much for a bird that get a little too close to the action.

Verstappen started from pole position, led every lap and chalked up victory. It marked Verstappen’s fourth successive victory and third in which he led every lap. Montreal, though, can feature errant wildlife. Usually it is groundhogs who sneak under the concrete walls, wander onto the track, and let fate play its hand.

In the race, it was a bird that was struck by race-leader Verstappen in the early stages. The unfortunate bird became lodged in Verstappen’s right front brake duct throughout the race though at least for the Dutchman it did not impede performance.

Pity the mechanics who had to carry out the postrace clean-up job.

Vettel to the Nurburgring; Verstappen Barred

Sebastian Vettel will return to the wheel of Red Bull Formula 1 machinery in September for the first time in almost nine years.

Vettel, who retired from Formula 1 at the end of 2022, enjoyed the most successful spell of his career at Red Bull, winning four straight titles from 2010 through 2013. As part of the Red Bull Nurburgring festival, which runs alongside the Nurburgring 12 Hours, Vettel, along with Red Bull third driver and former teammate Daniel Ricciardo, will demonstrate the RB7 and RB8 respectively.

Vettel, who has championed sustainability and environmental causes, will complete his run in the RB7 using e-fuels. Vettel and Ricciardo, though, will not be joined by reigning champ Max Verstappen.

“I wanted to do it but I was not allowed from (team official) Helmut (Marko),” said Verstappen. “He knew I’d try go to the limit. I would have loved to do it. I heard this thing was coming up and Helmut because I think we were sitting at a table when it came up and he was like ‘no, no, no you’re not doing that.”

Stroll’s QR Code Helmet

Lance Stroll sported a maple leaf themed helmet with a spate of QR codes.

A scan of those codes brought up links to some of the places most-loved by Canadian Stroll. They include Lester’s Deli— which serves smoked meat sandwiches—the SH karting track where he began competing, the Bell Centre where Stroll would watch his hockey team the Montreal Canadians, and Park, his favorite Asian restaurant.

The other QR codes linked to his junior school, a fast food joint and Mont-Tremblant. Stroll is set to auction the helmet in order to raise funds for the relief effort following recent wildfires in Canada.

Fittipaldi Gets Haas Tire Test

Pietro Fittipaldi will return to the cockpit of Haas Formula 1 machinery at a post-British GP tire test. Fittipaldi has been Haas’ reserve driver since 2018 and was drafted in for the final two rounds of 2020 after Romain Grosjean’s accident.

Having only started two Grands Prix he also fits the requirement for Haas’ two rookie FP1 runs, which he carried out in 2022. Fittipaldi will drive the VF-23 on the second day of a two-day tire test involving Haas and Red Bull at Silverstone.

Palou Back in a Formula 1 Car

Alex Palou has been busy lately. When he’s not winning races in IndyCar and stretching out his points advantage in pursuit of a second crown, he’s been working with McLaren in Formula 1.

Between Grands Prix in Spain and Canada, he and regular McLaren race driver Oscar Piastri headed to Hungary’s Hungaroring for private running in the squad’s 2021-spec car. It provided further Formula 1 experience for Palou, who joined McLaren last year as a test driver, and made his Grand Prix weekend debut in practice at Austin.