Live Commentary: Canadian Grand Prix - as it happened

Evening all. After a couple of races in Europe it's time for Formula 1 to head across the pond to Canada. It's the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal!

This race is perhaps my favourite on the whole calendar. Every year it seems to throw up plenty of drama. Even qualifying yesterday had more to it than a couple of the races this year.

Changeable conditions on Saturday meant that parts of the track were dry but certain sections damp, causing a lack of grip. The confidence of the drivers was built up thanks to the first half of the lap but the final corner in particular kept catching the drivers out.

It's a familiar face at the front of the grid in Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel. The German handled the conditions best, going just quicker than Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Hamilton looked like he was going to nab pole but got caught out by the slippery final corner.

WEATHER WATCH! So how's the weather looking today? The sun is out at the moment but the forecast for this afternoon is that rain could arrive. Most of the teams might not want it but us watching always enjoy it getting a bit wet because it makes for fantastic viewing.

To see the full grid for today's race, see our report from yesterday's qualifying here.

There's a couple of changes to the initial finishes in yesterday's qualifying. Romain Grosjean goes to the back of the gird for causing a crash in Monaco last time out while Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo both drop two places for not starting in the fast lane of the pit lane for the restart in Q2.

That leaves Lotus's Raikkonen down in 10th place, relatively out of position for the quality of his car. Expect him to move up from there.

It's good to be back racing in F1 after the last couple of weeks. The sport has been engulfed by a row over in-season testing. Mercedes were chosen by manufacturer Pirelli to test out some tyres and the other teams were fuming because they used their current car so could have gained an advantage.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner tells Sky Sports F1 that you can overtake at this track more than any. Yippee!

There's 14 corners at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve (6 left and 8 right). It's predominantly a high-speed circuit but there are long straights that encourage overtaking.

Back to the tyre-test row. The issue seems to have been resolved somewhat this evening as teams have agreed to bring it back next season. BBC Sport's Andrew Benson writes: "The testing was banned in 2009 because of cost but a new package of measures is aimed at reducing expenses by restricting other development plans.


Teams have agreed to hold two-day tests after the British and Spanish Grands Prix and following two out of either the Germany, Belgium and Italy races.

PREDICTION! Just five minutes until the start so I best get in my prediction. I fancy Hamilton because of the chance of rain. The 2008 world champion has proven to be supreme in wet conditions so I fancy him. Vettel and Alonso to complete the podium.

Granted, the Mercedes isn't expected to perform that brilliantly in the race but I'm thinking that Hamilton may jump Vettel at the start. The run down to turn one is a short one and I'd be surprised if there's no collisions anywhere in the pack.

FORMATION LAP! Vettel sets off on a single circuit of the track to warm up the cars.

The two slick tyres available this weekend are the red-marked super softs and white-marked mediums. The super softs are expected to be much quicker and all of the top 10 are starting with those on. Di Resta in 17th is the first man on the mediums, perhaps trying a one-stop strategy. A two-stopper is expected to be the quickest strategy.

GO GO GO! Five red lights illuminate and then go out. We're underway in Montreal!

Vettel gets away well while Bottas has dropped two places already.

Rosberg remains third with Webber just behind while Alonso has now passed Bottas for fifth place.

Vettel has already opened up a two-second lead. I'm changing my prediction to him!

Not the start that Raikkonen wanted. He's stayed in 10th and been overtaken by Ricciardo, who has moved up a couple of places.

A little further back and Button, who had a nasty qualifying yesterday, hasn't started well either. He's dropped one place to 15th.

Hamilton must be hating this. He knows that he has similar talent to Vettel but just can't catch that streaking Red Bull. The lead is now 3.2s.

Looking at a replay of Bottas's start, it was very tentative. The Finn was out of position in third and the more experienced heads of Rosberg and Webber passed him with ease.

TOP 10 UPDATE: 1 Vettel 2 Hamilton 3 Rosberg 4 Webber 5 Alonso 6 Vergne 7 Bottas 8 Ricciardo 9 Raikkonen 10 Hulkenburg

SPIN! Sutil gets tapped and spins in the middle of the track. Five or six cars have to take evasive action and it's amazing that all of the midfield were able to carry on.

Sutil is again in the wars as Maldonado smashes into his rear wing. Both cars again carry on and don't have to pit.

Up at the front and Vettel's lead is up to five seconds ahead of Hamilton.

Di Resta is told that he has a DRS problem and now has to operate it manually. Raikkonen, now in ninth, may also have an issue with his brakes.

Sutil pits after a horrible start to the race as Massa passes Hulkenburg down into turn one. The Brazilian started in 16th so he's the best mover so far.

Peculiar moment from our leader Vettel as he smacks a tyre into the wall but survives any damage.

Ricciardo, Raikkonen and Massa go into the first corner three abreast and it's Raikkonen who manages to move into eighth.

Massa was just about to pass Ricciardo but he goes straight on at the final chicane and into the pit.

Vettel's pace is so much better than everyone else and he's now over seven seconds clear of Hamilton. Have to say that it looks like this race may already be over. Let's hope there's some better battles for the podium and points-scoring places.

Webber is the first of the frontrunners to pit and he opts to put on the medium compound at this early stage. Perhaps a change of strategy to try and get past the two Mercedes?

Rosberg pits the lap after Webber and he gets out ahead of the Australian. The German kept going with the super softs instead of going for the mediums like Webber.

Finally Hamilton does a lap quicker than Vettel as Maldonado is given a drive-through penalty for running into the back of Sutil earlier.

Vettel pits from the lead. The German, like his teammate, pops on the white-marked medium tyres.

Alonso also pits from fifth place. The Spaniard could be good for a podium if he can catch the Rosberg-Webber battle.

Hamilton now leads the race by 7.2s but he hasn't stopped like Vettel behind.

Massa had made up half of the places after starting from 16th but he now pits from eighth place.

Surely Hamilton will have to come in soon? He's in danger of falling behind the Rosberg-Webber duel if he stays out much longer.

And here he comes. Vettel had gone 1.2s quicker than the Englishman on that last lap. He's told on the team radio that they would be changing tyre so that's a change of strategy perhaps. He does manage to come out a few seconds ahead of Rosberg.

One man who's having a fine afternoon is Grosjean. He started from the back of the grid but is already up to ninth. Yes, he hasn't stopped yet but still very impressive.

The majority of the top 10 are now on the medium compound tyres. They will keep them on for as long as they think the super softs can last on the third stint.

Extremely tight driving between Sutil and Massa for 11th place. It looked as if the Ferrari man would squeeze around the outside but was shoved out by the German. Vergne overtakes Raikkonen for sixth before Raikkonen pits and it's a bad stop from the Lotus boys. The Finn's afternoon is going awfully.

Vettel sets another fastest lap with a 1:18.477. He's having one of those untouchable races that are, I'm sad to say, pretty boring to watch. At least there's plenty of action further back.

BBC Sport tweet that Hamilton could be on a one-stop strategy. I can see Raikkonen doing it but I'd be very surprised if Lewis does.

Massa continues to be frustrated by Sutil. He tried to pass around the outside of the final chicane but again didn't get his angles right and had to pull out.

Webber has a look at Rosberg into the chicane but has to spin the car out of the move as it looked like he might smash into the Mercedes. He now has to work harder to catch him again and also has Alonso up his backside now.

"OK Jenson, box this lap. Box this lap," Button is told. He's on a one-stopper.

It's a supreme stop from the McLaren men as he rejoins down the field. Can he pick up some points today?

Vettel's lead to Hamilton is now an enormous 17 seconds. When the Red Bull is in this kind of form surely he should be handicapped with a weight or something?

Fabulous racing between Rosberg, Webber and Alonso. The Australian manages to move into third and then Rosberg is also overtaken by Alonso. Not a good couple of corners for the Merc.

Webber will now have his sights on Hamilton in second. The Red Bull is clearly quicker than the Mercedes around here but Hamilton does have a 10-second lead or so.

Rosberg now pits from fifth. That's his second pit stop and means that he'll have to three-stop to complete 70 laps of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

TOP 10 UPDATE: 1 Vettel 2 Hamilton 3 Webber 4 Alonso 5 Rosberg 6 Vergne 7 Di Resta 8 Grosjean 9 Sutil 10 Massa

Amazing speed from Vettel. He has just lapped his nearest challenger in the drivers' championship - Raikkonen. He's also overtaken the man who started third on the grid in Bottas.

Di Resta in seventh and Grosjean in eighth are still yet to stop and they could be looking at some unlikely points after starting 17th and 22nd respectively.

Rosberg was told on the team radio a couple of laps ago that he has to go for 39 laps on that set of medium tyres. A tall order, that's for sure.

CONTACT! Webber had recently set the fastest lap of the race but he's just had a collision Van der Garde. The Australian zipped up the inside of the hairpin but was then turned in on by the Dutchman. He should have yielded there. Webber's end plate of his front wing comes off but it doesn't seem to have affected his car.

Webber and Alonso are going quickly at the moment and catching Hamilton in second. The gap between Hamilton and Webber is down to seven-and-a-half seconds.

As we reach lap 40 Vettel's lead remains at 16 seconds. The sun is still shining on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve and it looks like those forecasts of rain were plain wrong.

ALONSO nips down the outside of Webber into the first corner and he's up to third place. Perhaps the Red Bull is now being affected by that front-wing damage.

Grosjean pits and that just leaves Di Resta as the only man yet to stop. At the front Hamilton has slimmed the lead a little bit but don't make anything of that. He encountered a little traffic and it slowed him down.

TOP 10 UPDATE: 1 Vettel 2 Hamilton 3 Alonso 4 Webber 5 Rosberg 6 Vergne 7 Di Resta 8 Sutil 9 Raikkonen 10 Grosjean

Webber pits for a second time and puts on another set of mediums. They should last him to the end of the race.

Van der Garde hasn't had a good afternoon and he's our first man to retire. He nicked Hulkenburg's rear tyre and damaged his front wing. Hulkenburg also has to retire as a puncture was suffered becuase of the collision.

Vettel pits from the lead for one last time and he comes out ahead of Hamilton. Such an easy afternoon for the reigning three-time world champion.

Amazingly Di Resta still hasn't stopped. We've had 50 laps for goodness sake. A real 'what if' race for the Force India team as he started 17th because of a poor qualifying performance.

Vettel needs to stay calm and focussed up at the front. He's just overshot into the first corner and had to trundle across the grass. Rocky, his engineer, tells him to "bring the tyres home".

Alonso is taking time out of Hamilton now. The Spaniard has cut the gap to 3.4s with a new fastest lap of the race - a 1:16.734.

Di Resta has been told to stay on his 54-lap old tyres for as long as he feels comfortable. Imagine if he went to the end!

Hamilton is about to overtake Massa as the Brazilian's teammate Alonso continues to catch the Englishman.

Alonso gets a pleasant tow from a Marussia down the back straight and he's now homing in on Hamilton.

Remember, Hammy has only stopped once so far and that doesn't appear to be the best strategy. Di Resta finally pits and puts on a set of super softs. He rejoins in seventh and will now be looking to overtake Vergne for sixth.

Hamilton is given a radio message and he replies "Just let me drive man." He knows that he's under serious pressure from Alonso.

HAMILTON is slowed down by backmarker Sutil and that almost allows Alonso through. The Ferrari is right behind the Mercedes now.

TOP 10 UPDATE: 1 Vettel 2 Hamilton 3 Alonso 4 Webber 5 Rosberg 6 Vergne 7 Di Resta 8 Sutil 9 Raikkonen 10 Massa

Sutil held up Hamilton so much that he's been given a drive-through penalty for ignoring the blue flags, which tell cars to move out of the way for those lapping.

It's fair to say that Hamilton and Alonso aren't the best of friends and there's now to be an almighty scrap for second place with just a few laps left.

The pair almost come to a stop as Hamilton puts his car on the apex of the hairpin.

ALONSO can't pass into the final chicane but does manage to get it done into the first corner as Hamilton gives him a slight tap on the way through. It was inevitable and looks as if Hamilton will have to settle for third.

You would have expected Webber to be closer to Hamilton at this stage but he's eight seconds back.

Alonso clearly has a faster car but Hamilton isn't giving up yet! He stays within the second needed for DRS and almost retakes second place, again making contact but surviving.

Into the last five laps we go and Gutirerrez has crashed into the tyre wall at the opening pair of corners.

The Mexican is apparently fine and perhaps the best battle to watch in these final stages is between Raikkonen and Massa for eighth place.

Vettel cruises over the line to start his 69th lap. The German is on course to extend his lead at the top to over 30 points. On course for a fourth straight title.

Vettel starts his final lap as MASSA gets past Raikkonen for eighth place. Alonso and then Webber set fastest laps.

It's a first success in Montreal for the German.

Alonso comes home second ahead of Hamilton with Webber in fourth. The rest are miles back.

"Fantastic Seb, you've won the Canadian Grand Prix. That makes up for two years ago (when he was beaten by Button on the last lap)." The German replies: "Yes! We won Canada!"

FINAL TOP 10 & POINTS: 1 Vettel 25pts 2 Alonso 18pts 3 Hamilton 15pts 4 Webber 12pts 5 Rosberg 10 pts 6 Vergne 8pts 7 Di Resta 6pts 8 Massa 4pts 9 Raikkonen 2pts 10 Sutil 1pt

By finishing ninth Raikkonen equals Michael Schumacher's record of 24 consecutive points-scoring finishes. It's also a first race in 65 that McLaren haven't scored a single point. Perez and Button were 11th and 12th.

That's it from our updates. I'll leave you with Michael Penkman's race report. The next race is in Britain and Silverstone in three weeks' time. We'll see you then.