Dr Helmut Marko has said 'hats off' to Max Verstappen for the way the Dutchman kept Carlos Sainz at bay towards the end of the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman was sailing to victory in Montreal on Sunday afternoon before a late Safety Car threatened to derail his chances.

Indeed, in the closing stages he found Carlos Sainz all over his gearbox after the field had been bunched up, as the two tore off up the road to battle it out for victory.

Max, though, was the man to cross the finish line first, with him once again showcasing his superb ability to stay cool under serious pressure.

Indeed, Marko was left very impressed by the Dutchman's showing, with him saying:

"The pressure from Sainz at the end of the race was immense.

"Max didn't quite manage to pull out of the DRS gap because Ferrari was significantly faster than us in the second section of the track.

"The fact that Max's tyres were older of course played a role, so I have to say hats off to him for withstanding such pressure. Luckily for us, Sainz made two mistakes in the hairpin.

"Even under the greatest of pressure, Max drove without making a single mistake. It didn't help that his radio failed so we didn't know if he received our message that he could unleash a little more power."

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 19: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 19, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Both Max and Carlos drove really well in the final stages of the race and either would have deserved victory.

Max held on, though, and added win number 26 to his CV.