Max Verstappen wins to increase lead

Montreal, June 20

Max Verstappen maintained his hold on the Formula One championship fight by holding off a late challenge from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr to earn his sixth win of the season in a fairly easy drive in the Canadian Grand Prix.

Verstappen won from the pole at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to extend his lead in the standings to 46 points over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who retired early with a gearbox issue.

“It’s still a very long way to go and I know the gap of course is quite big, but I also know it can switch around very quickly,” Verstappen said of his points lead.

He noted he trailed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 46 points following the third race of the season. The Dutchman had no trouble clearing Fernando Alonso, who earned his first front-row start in a decade.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished third. — AP