George Russell secured Mercedes` first win of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Canadian Grand Prix. The race in Montreal was highlighted by a dramatic incident between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the closing laps.
Russell successfully defended his lead against Max Verstappen for much of the race, ultimately taking the win. His Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, achieved his first-ever F1 podium finish by taking third place.
Russell`s victory wasn`t officially confirmed until nearly six hours after the race finished. This delay was due to a Red Bull protest alleging Russell drove erratically behind the Safety Car, which was deployed after the McLaren incident. The protest was ultimately rejected.
The most significant drama unfolded in the fight for fourth position. With four laps left, Piastri and Norris made contact just past the start/finish line. Norris suffered more damage from the incident and was forced to retire.
Norris later described his attempt to overtake Piastri as `stupid` and apologised for the contact. Piastri was able to continue and finished the race. He now leads the championship standings by 22 points over Norris and 43 points ahead of Verstappen.
Charles Leclerc finished fifth, followed by his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton in sixth. Hamilton`s race was compromised by damage sustained early on after hitting a groundhog, which he carried for most of the 70 laps in Montreal.
Fernando Alonso secured Aston Martin`s best result of the season with seventh place. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) finished eighth, Esteban Ocon (Haas) ninth, and Carlos Sainz (Williams) completed the top ten.
The McLaren Collision
Starting from seventh after a disappointing qualifying, Norris opted for an alternative strategy on hard tyres. This allowed him to briefly lead the race as others pitted. After his own stop, with fresher tyres, he began closing the gap to his teammate Piastri. Piastri had been struggling to overtake Antonelli for third.
On lap 66, Norris attempted an overtake on Piastri at the Turn 10 hairpin. They ran side-by-side down the main straight. Piastri had the inside line for the final chicane but had a poor exit. Norris saw an opening on the inside approaching Turn 1, but there wasn`t enough space, leading to high-speed contact. Norris`s front wing broke, forcing his retirement, while Piastri continued to finish fourth.
Reflecting on the incident, Norris took full responsibility, stating, “No one to blame but myself, so I apologise to the whole team and to Oscar as well for attempting something probably a bit too silly.” He added, “Glad I didn`t ruin his race. In the end apologies to the team.”
Russell`s Commanding Performance
At the sharp end of the field, Russell and Verstappen engaged in their own battle, following their previous encounter in Spain. Russell maintained his lead at the start due to a poor getaway from Verstappen. Although Verstappen initially pressured Russell, the gap widened in the first stint.
Antonelli even appeared closer to challenging Verstappen than Verstappen was to Russell at times. Red Bull pitted Verstappen early on lap 12, initiating the main pit stop phase. Mercedes responded effectively, covering Verstappen`s strategy on both stops. Russell consistently had the pace to prevent a serious challenge from the Red Bull driver.
After the race, Russell expressed his joy: “It`s amazing to be back on the top step… felt last year was a victory lost… so happy to see Kimi on the podium as well. Amazing day for the team. Thanks to everyone back at the factory for working to get us back fighting for victories. it feels good.”
Further down the order, Charles Leclerc finished fifth. He questioned Ferrari`s strategy, having started on hard tyres hoping for a one-stop race, but ultimately followed a similar two-stop strategy to the leaders.
It was another challenging Sunday for Lewis Hamilton, who finished sixth. His race was hampered by damage incurred on Lap 13 after hitting a groundhog, which reportedly cost him about half a second per lap and resulted in a relatively solitary race.
Canadian driver Lance Stroll received the only penalty of the race for forcing Pierre Gasly off track at the final chicane. Retirements included Alex Albon (Williams) due to an engine issue after expressing frustration with team strategy, and Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls).
Canadian GP Result: Top 10
- 1st: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 2nd: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 3rd: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- 4th: Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- 5th: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 6th: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- 7th: Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- 8th: Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
- 9th: Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- 10th: Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- DNFs: Lando Norris (McLaren), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Alex Albon (Williams)
