Red Bull proclaims it ‘gives you wings’ but we never imagined Max Verstappen would take it literally and bring home a bird on board while he finished the Canadian GP in first place.
Max Verstappen encountered a bird strike in the beginning of Lap 70 which was the final lap at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Verstappen has been leading every lap of every race since Monaco and no other team has won any race except Redbull this season.
Even a bird strike did not stop them from winning the race.
Bird found stuck on Max Verstappen’s car at Canadian GP
“It was still stuck on my car when I came in, it didn’t look great! I also feel sorry for the mechanic having to remove it.” Max Verstappen told the media after the race finished.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner later also commented about the infamous bird that had been lodged in the brake duct of Verstappen’s RB19.
“The biggest moment he had was hitting a bird that did half the race behind the front right brake duct,” Horner commented.
What F1 car Max Verstappen drives?
Max Verstappen drives the all-new (Red Bull Racing) RB19 same as Sergio Perez. However, one seems to benefit greatly from the car while the latter is struggling to finish in the points.
“The car from the start has been really quick. Besides that, it has been nice to work with. It’s not like there are any mysteries with the car and it is hard to find a direction. So that helps a lot every weekend.” Described Verstappen about the car he drove.
The victory was extremely crucial as it marked Red Bull’s 100th win in F1 and Verstappen’s 41st, which equals the tally of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna.
Max Verstappen is so ahead of the pack that his other moment of concern in the race was when he accidentally knocked himself over the curb at the famous corner where he and Lewis Hamilton had crashed back in the day.
“I almost knocked myself out on that kerb, haha” joked Max Verstappen on the radio.
Bird strikes, groundhog sightings etc are extremely common during GPs and this could pose a serious threat one day to both the drivers as well as the animals present.
The FIA bears the responsibility of safeguarding wildlife during track construction and ensuring their safety throughout races. It is crucial for teams to remain vigilant about bird movements to prevent potential bird strikes during races.
What are your thoughts on the bird strike incident involving Max Verstappen during the Canadian GP? Do you think more should be done to ensure the safety of both the drivers and the wildlife during races? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
