Kimi Antonelli won a completely crazy Canadian Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Mercedes seemed on course for a one-two before the brutal retirement of George Russell after an intense battle between the two teammates.
Read more George Russell breaks down after a cruel retirement at the Canadian Grand Prix
The threatening weather long cast doubt over the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, but the track was finally almost dry at the start. Mercedes locked out the front row with George Russell on pole ahead of Kimi Antonelli, while McLaren made a bold strategic gamble by fitting intermediate tires for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Even before the lights went out, the start procedure descended into chaos. Arvid Lindblad was stuck on the grid with a gearbox problem, causing two extra formation laps and a long delay before the real start.
When the race finally got underway, Norris perfectly exploited his intermediate tires to jump into the lead ahead of the Mercedes. Antonelli also got the better of Russell from the first meters. But the McLaren advantage quickly evaporated on a track drying much faster than expected.
Piastri dived into the pits at the end of the first lap, followed by Norris on the next lap. This strategic gamble completely ruined McLaren’s chances, allowing Antonelli to take the lead ahead of Russell, Hamilton, and Verstappen.
Explosive duel between the two Mercedes
The battle between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli then animated the entire first half of the race. The two Mercedes drivers exchanged the lead several times in an extremely aggressive duel.
Russell first regained the advantage thanks to the slipstream before the last chicane, but Antonelli immediately responded. The two men came close to contact several times, notably at the hairpin braking where Russell went off several times under pressure from his young teammate.
Behind them, Lewis Hamilton remained solidly in the provisional podium position, while Max Verstappen gradually put pressure on the Ferrari. The Dutchman finally found an opening on the ninth lap to climb to third place.
Despite their incessant duel, the two Mercedes pulled away from the rest of the field. But everything changed on lap 31 when Russell suddenly went straight at turn 8 before stopping his car.
Read more The nightmare continues for McLaren: Lando Norris retires in Canada
Mercedes quickly confirmed an engine problem on the Briton’s W17, causing a huge twist in this race.
Hamilton resists Verstappen after a tense end to the race
Russell’s retirement handed the lead to Antonelli, who perfectly managed the restart after the Virtual Safety Car. Behind him, Verstappen was now in second position ahead of Hamilton, Leclerc, and Hadjar.
The rest of the race was marked by several incidents and retirements. Norris also suffered a mechanical problem, apparently related to his gearbox, while Sergio Pérez retired after a spectacular failure of the front right suspension.
At the front, Antonelli perfectly contained Verstappen despite the backmarkers’ traffic and several virtual safety car periods. But the big battle at the end of the race was mainly between Hamilton and Verstappen.
The Ferrari driver gradually caught up to the Red Bull before launching a decisive attack on lap 61. Hamilton attempted a bold outside overtake at the first corner and finally managed to definitively take the advantage over the four-time world champion.
Verstappen stayed close until the final laps without managing to respond. Ahead of them, Antonelli perfectly controlled the last kilometers to secure an impressive fourth consecutive victory.
The young Italian thus consolidates his lead in the championship, while Mercedes can have huge regrets after seeming capable of securing a commanding one-two in Montreal.
Read more Aston Martin reveals the very unusual reason for Fernando Alonso’s retirement
2026 Canadian GP F1 Standings:
