Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix was arguably the best race of the season. Wet weather, different tyre strategies and several driver and team errors combined to make for a thrilling Sunday afternoon in Montreal.
And maybe it will be the overtaking of the season.
Just before the halfway point of Sunday’s race, with rain still falling, Alexander Albon pulled off a stunning overtake on Casino Straight, passing not one but two drivers entering the final chicane near the ‘Wall of Champions’ – a double move that has to be seen to be believed.
Albon closed in on Daniel Ricciardo, sliding around the outside of the Visa Cash App RB F1 Team driver to take the lead, but then he got in close on Esteban Ocon, who, as Jolyon Palmer points out in the video above, was on used tires. With just a few inches to spare, Albon got on the inside of Ocon and in front of Ricciardo, then successfully overtook Ocon near the final chicane and the Champions Wall.
A truly incredible move, especially under those difficult circumstances.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be the highlight of Albon’s day. In the closing stages of the race, Albon was running behind Carlos Sainz Jr. when the Ferrari driver went off the track and then backed in on the racing line. Albon had no way to escape and the ensuing collision took him out of the race.
Sainz quickly apologised over the radio to Ferrari, but it was of little consolation to Albon, who was bidding for a second consecutive points finish.
“It’s a disappointing result from today’s race. Points were definitely a possibility and the car felt good on all compounds in the changing conditions. We didn’t take any unnecessary risks and the team executed the race plan well,” Albon said in Williams’ post-race report. “Given the weather it was a fight for survival but in the end I got caught up in other people’s mistakes. That’s racing and I don’t think I could have done anything else.”
On the bright side, this double overtake may be remembered as the best move of the season when the 2024 F1 season comes to an end.
