MONTREAL— Red Bull’s triple world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, but his victory was overshadowed by the death of a marshal, the first fatality in Formula One in over a decade.
Reuters
The worker was killed after being run over by a mobile crane that was removing the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez from the side of the track after he crashed in the closing stages.
Vettel, oblivious to the unfolding tragedy, captured his first Formula One victory on North American soil and extended his overall lead in the championship to 36 points over Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who finished second.
Lewis Hamilton, who had won in Montreal three times before, was passed by Alonso seven laps from the end, but made it a podium of champions by finishing third for Mercedes.
Vettel, cruising to his 29th career win with little resistance, took the chequered flag 14,4 seconds clear of Spaniard Alonso.
Keep Reading
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
“It was a great race and I had a great start, which was important,” Vettel said. “Finally we got our first win, it’s off the list now and it was great to win.”
Vettel’s Australian teammate, Mark Webber, came fourth, and set the fastest lap, after his front wing was damaged when he collided with Dutch rookie Giedo van der Garde’s Caterham. Germany’s Nico Rosberg, winner of the previous race in Monaco for Mercedes, crossed the line fifth. Hours after Vettel’s win, the sport’s governing body announced the death of the marshal, which overshadowed a relatively incident-free race.