Verstappen needs to stay out of trouble in Canada

MONTREAL - Max Verstappen will have to keep out of trouble as he chases an unprecedented fourth Canadian Grand Prix win in a row this weekend, with only a penalty point between the Formula One champion and a race ban.

The Red Bull driver has won for the last three years in Montreal, the last time after starting alongside Mercedes pole-sitter George Russell -- the same rival he clashed with two weekends ago -- in a qualifying draw.

How Verstappen will respond is an open question but others are sure to want to take whatever advantage they can of the situation at a track famed also for changeable weather.

He mustn’t do anything wrong over the next two race weekends, and of course he will be told not to do anything rash, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko wrote in a column for post-Spain.

It would be a catastrophe if he couldn’t start in Austria (the race after Canada).

While McLaren, with Oscar Piastri leading Lando Norris by 10 points after nine of 24 races, will be the team to beat again, Mercedes will fancy their chances in the seasons second race in North America.

Its a track where weve tended to find our feet relatively well in the past, said Mercedes technical director James Allison. So Im looking forward to it.

Weve got one or two new bits to take with us and well see how we get on.

Mercedes have not won since Las Vegas last November, with Russells second place in Bahrain in April the best they have managed so far.

McLaren have won seven of nine but last triumphed in Canada with Lewis Hamilton in 2012, although historically they have won more times (13) than any team there. The battle between Piastri and Norris could be