2011 Canada F1 Grand Prix Race Report & Results

Event: Canadian Grand Prix
Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Weather: heavy rain, long red-flag delay

Jenson BUTTON won his 10th F1 World Championship race at the 2011 Canada F1 GP, the longest race in F1 history at over four hours and one of the greatest comeback drives ever seen. The McLaren driver started seventh, was last twice during the race, and won at Montreal by 2.71 seconds from Sebastian Vettel on the final lap after Vettel ran wide chasing Buttons pressure. It was McLarens 167th F1 win.

Vettel pole, storm forecast for Sunday

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on 12 June 2011 saw Vettel take pole with a 1:13.014 lap, Alonso second by 0.185 for Ferrari, Massa third, Webber fourth. The forecast was for rain, and it did not disappoint: race day brought sheets of water that would define one of the great grands prix.

Race day: 4h05m, six safety cars, two-hour red flag, Button from last to first

The race began on intermediates behind the safety car in heavy rain. Button, on the six-stop journey that would make his afternoon legendary, was tagged into a spin by his teammate Hamilton on lap 8; Hamilton retired. Button pitted for a new nose and dropped to the back. A red flag on lap 25 stopped the race for over two hours as the rain intensified. When racing resumed Button began to charge, running the drying track superbly. He had a drive-through for speeding under the safety car; contact with Alonso spun the Ferrari out. Yet Button kept coming: fresh tyres, DRS, and a Vettel who cracked on the final lap running wide at Turn 6 with Button in DRS range. Button swept past for the flag, one of F1s greatest wins. Vettel second, Webber third for Red Bull, Schumacher a superb fourth for Mercedes GP, Petrov fifth for Renault. Button set the fastest lap on lap 69 at 1:16.956.

Championship: Vettel 161, Button 76, Webber 94

Buttons drive cut Vettels lead but not decisively; Vettels 20 points for second in his 15th finish in 20 rounds started 20 races that had gone the champions way. Europe at Valencia in a fortnight would be next.

Classification 2011 Canada F1 GP

Pos	#	Driver	Constructor	Car & Engine	Grid	Laps	Led	Time	Pts
1	4	JensonButton	McLaren	McLaren MP4/26Mercedes FO 108	7	70	1	4:04:39.537	25
2	1	SebastianVettel	Red Bull	Red Bull RB7Renault RS27	1	70	49	4:04:42.246+2.709s	18
3	2	MarkWebber	Red Bull	Red Bull RB7Renault RS27	4	70		4:04:53.365+13.828s	15
4	7	MichaelSchumacher	Mercedes	Mercedes W02Mercedes FO 108	8	70		4:04:53.756+14.219s	12
5	10	VitalyPetrov	Renault	Lotus R31Renault RS27	10	70		4:04:59.932+20.395s	10
6	6	FelipeMassa	Ferrari	Ferrari F150Ferrari 056	3	70	1	4:05:12.762+33.225s	8
7	16	KamuiKobayashi	Sauber	Sauber C30Ferrari 056	13	70		4:05:12.807+33.270s	6
8	19	JaimeAlguersuari	Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR6Ferrari 056		70		4:05:15.501+35.964s	4
9	11	RubensBarrichello	Williams	Williams FW33Cosworth CA2010	16	70		4:05:24.654+45.117s	2
10	18	SébastienBuemi	Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR6Ferrari 056	15	70		4:05:26.593+47.056s	1
11	8	NicoRosberg	Mercedes	Mercedes W02Mercedes FO 108	6	70		4:05:29.991+50.454s
12	17	Pedrode la Rosa	Sauber	Sauber C30Ferrari 056	17	70		4:05:43.144+1:03.607
13	23	VitantonioLiuzzi	HRT	HRT F111Cosworth CA2010	20	69		+1 lap
14	25	Jérômed'Ambrosio	Virgin Racing	Marussia MVR-02Cosworth CA2010	23	69		+1 lap
15	24	TimoGlock	Virgin Racing	Marussia MVR-02Cosworth CA2010	21	69		+1 lap
16	21	JarnoTrulli	Caterham	Lotus T128Renault RS27	18	69		+1 lap
17	22	NarainKarthikeyan	HRT	HRT F111Cosworth CA2010	22	69		+1 lap
18	15	Pauldi Resta	Force India	Force India VJM04Mercedes FO 108	11	67		Accident
DNF	12	PastorMaldonado	Williams	Williams FW33Cosworth CA2010	12	61		Spun off
DNF	9	NickHeidfeld	Renault	Lotus R31Renault RS27	9	55		Accident
DNF	14	AdrianSutil	Force India	Force India VJM04Mercedes FO 108	14	49		Accident damage
DNF	5	FernandoAlonso	Ferrari	Ferrari F150Ferrari 056	2	36		Collision
DNF	20	HeikkiKovalainen	Caterham	Lotus T128Renault RS27	19	28		Driveshaft
DNF	3	LewisHamilton	McLaren	McLaren MP4/26Mercedes FO 108	5	7		Collision

Fastest lap: 1:16.956 min. by Jenson Button

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

Related topics