Sebastian Vettel wins in Canada as the chequered flag comes early

The 2018 Canadian Grand Prix took place on 10 June and gave Sebastian Vettel one of his most controlled Ferrari victories. It also produced one of the stranger administrative images of the modern era: the chequered flag being shown too early.

Background

Vettel arrived in Montreal fighting Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes for the championship. Ferrari had a car quick enough to challenge on several circuits, but converting that into a sustained title campaign was proving less straightforward. Canada, with its straights and heavy braking zones, looked like a strong opportunity.

Vettel took pole position and started ahead of Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton, usually formidable in Montreal, qualified fourth and was not in his most comfortable weekend. Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo gave Red Bull additional pressure at the front, but the race soon developed around Vettel’s ability to control it from the lead.

The race

An opening-lap crash between Lance Stroll and Brendon Hartley brought out the safety car. Once the race settled, Vettel managed the lead with little visible stress. Bottas chased but could not mount a sustained attack, while Verstappen completed the podium for Red Bull.

The oddity came at the end. Model Winnie Harlow, acting as the celebrity flag-waver, was instructed to show the chequered flag early. It appeared at the end of lap 69 of a scheduled 70-lap race. Under the regulations, the official classification was therefore taken from the end of lap 68. Vettel still won, so the sporting outcome at the front was not overturned, but the incident became an instant piece of F1 awkwardness.

Consequences

The victory was Vettel’s 50th in Formula 1 and Ferrari’s first Canadian Grand Prix win since Michael Schumacher in 2004. It also moved Vettel back into the championship lead. At that moment, the 2018 title fight still looked like a genuine Ferrari versus Mercedes contest.

It did not stay that way. Ferrari’s season later unravelled through driver errors, strategic mistakes and Mercedes’ stronger development path. Canada therefore stands as one of the high points of Vettel’s final serious title push with Ferrari.

Historical placement

The premature flag gives the race its easy trivia hook, but Vettel’s performance deserves the first line. He took pole, led with control and won on a circuit where Ferrari needed to hurt Mercedes. The early chequered flag did not change the winner. It did, however, provide a very Formula 1 reminder that even a dominant drive can end with everyone checking the rule book and the lap chart.