'It was 70 qualifying laps': Top drivers react to gruelling Canadian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen showed his class in Canada when he took victory for the second consecutive year around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

The Red Bull driver was in a league of his own, managing the Formula 1 race from the front with supreme comfort and not looking perturbed by the circuit's unforgiving nature.

In the end, he crossed the finish line ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

"It was not a straightforward race," Verstappen said in the post-race interview.

"The tyres were not getting in their window, and we were sliding around a bit. But to win [in Canada and] to win the 100th Grand Prix for the team is incredible. I never expected to be on these kind of numbers myself."

With the win, Verstappen also tied with the late great Ayrton Senna on 41 F1 victories. The only drivers with more F1 victories are Alain Prost (51), Sebastian Vettel (53), Michael Schumacher (91), and Lewis Hamilton (103).

Red Bull gives you wins! ??100 of them! @redbullracing score their 100th Grand Prix victory, a truly monumental achievement!#CanadianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/EPG1QCOgHV

Settling for the challenge

Alonso made his intentions for the Canadian Grand Prix clear: Win. Sadly, it did not play out the way he'd hoped, and he had to 'settle' for a duel with Hamilton for second place.

The two titans traded blows throughout the race, but the upgraded Aston Martin was just out of reach for Hamilton and his team.

"We were hoping to challenge a little more the Red Bull, but we lost a place at the start, and it was a battle with the Mercedes," Alonso said.

"Lewis was pushing all the race; I didn't have a single lap I could relax. At the end, Lewis had more pace. It was a tough race. It was 70 laps of