George Russell of Team Williams is the latest winner of the Canadian GP, held virtually over the weekend.

Drivers connected over the internet as the race took place in a digitally created version of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, venue for the Grand Prix.

With the Formula 1 races set to begin less than a month from now, drivers found a new way to keep themselves occupied and win unofficial titles while at it. The success is Russell’s fourth in a row, after winning the Virtual GP in Spain, Monaco, and Azerbaijan. That is four out of the GP held since.

Charles Leclerc, winner of the Vietnamese and Chinese GP, did not make it up to the finale which made things more easy for Russell, who had earlier explained how the Virtual GP wins were positively affecting his profile.

He edged his way past Alex Albon of the Red Bull team, who he beat by 15 seconds. Mercedes’s Esteban Gutierrez came in at third place. At some point in the race, after gaining massive lead, Russell offered to slow down, just to give his fans a show, although he did not.

After the race, the unofficial champion tweeted, “It may not be the real thing but it’s been such a buzz battling for wins with the lads again these past months. I’d missed that feeling! Enjoyed the series way more than I expected. No matter what you do you’ve gotta give it everything! #VirtualGP Champ… cheers everyone!”

It is expected that the Williams’ driver would replicate his virtual win on the race track by the time racing commences, although that is merely wishful thinking. Williams has not exactly been the best team these past two years, finishing at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Back in February, Williams unveiled the FW34, the car which is touted to get them the gold they have been denied these past years. The car was a major upgrade from the one used in 2019 with better brakes and a refined cooling system. They also announced that they made changes to their organizational structure.

Written by: Leon Osamor