Canadian GP: Antonelli makes it win n°4 as Russell suffers big blow

Kimi Antonelli tightened his grip on the Formula 1 world championship with a commanding victory in a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix that saw Mercedes team-mate George Russell robbed of a potential win by a mechanical failure while leading the race.

What had looked set to become an intense intra-team showdown at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve instead turned into a painful afternoon for Russell and a potentially decisive day in the title race for Antonelli.

The Mercedes pair spent the opening half of the race locked in a fierce battle for the lead, repeatedly swapping positions and pushing each other to the limit.

Results to follow...

Tensions peaked on lap 24 when the two made light contact through the final chicane, with Antonelli briefly taking the lead by cutting across the runoff before immediately being instructed to hand the place back.

But only six laps later, the fight ended abruptly.

Russell’s Mercedes suffered a power unit failure while leading on lap 30, forcing the Briton to stop at Turn 9 before climbing angrily from the car.

The retirement not only cost Russell a likely victory, but also handed Antonelli a major advantage in the championship standings.

As Antonelli disappeared into the distance to claim a fourth consecutive win, Russell admitted he was “lost for words” after watching his title hopes take a heavy blow.

McLaren gamble backfires badly

Behind the Mercedes drama, McLaren endured a disastrous afternoon that unravelled almost immediately.

With the track slightly damp before the start, the team gambled on intermediate tyres while most rivals opted for slicks. The decision quickly looked questionable, especially after two additional formation laps caused by issues on Arvid Lindblad’s stranded Racing Bulls machine.

Oscar Piastri openly questioned the call over team radio, and although Lando Norris briefly grabbed the lead at the start, both McLarens were soon forced into early pit stops for slick tyres.

The strategy disaster dropped them deep into traffic – and the chaos only escalated from there.

Piastri slammed into the side of Alex Albon’s Williams at the hairpin while fighting through the midfield, damaging his front wing and forcing Albon out of the race. The Australian received a 10-second penalty and never recovered, eventually finishing outside the points.

Norris’ afternoon ended even more painfully when he retired on lap 40 with a suspected gearbox failure at the same hairpin.

The resulting virtual safety car handed the leaders a perfectly timed opportunity to switch from soft tyres to mediums in what ultimately became a straightforward one-stop race as the forecast rain never arrived.

Hamilton charges past Verstappen

With McLaren eliminated from contention and Russell out, Max Verstappen inherited second place but soon found himself under mounting pressure from Lewis Hamilton.

The Ferrari driver steadily closed the gap during the final stint before finally making his move at the start of lap 62, sweeping past Verstappen into Turn 1.

Hamilton pulled away to secure second place, finishing 10 seconds behind Antonelli, while Verstappen settled for third.

Further back, Charles Leclerc and Isack Hadjar fought an aggressive battle for fourth. Hadjar was handed a 10-second penalty for weaving dangerously on the straight, nearly causing a major collision, before later receiving a stop-and-go penalty for ignoring yellow flags.

Despite the penalties, the Red Bull driver still managed to finish fifth due to the enormous gap separating the frontrunners from the midfield.

Leclerc eventually claimed fourth after surviving a huge snap exiting the final chicane.

Alpine leads midfield fight

Alpine emerged best of the midfield runners once again, with Franco Colapinto producing a superb drive to take a career-best sixth place ahead of Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly.

Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman completed the top 10 for Williams and Haas respectively.

Piastri finished a frustrated 11th alongside the two Audi cars, while six drivers failed to see the chequered flag.

Alongside Russell, Norris and Albon, Fernando Alonso retired with what Aston Martin described as a seat-related issue, while Sergio Perez suffered a frightening collapse of his front-right suspension but managed to limp his Cadillac back to the pits.

Formula 1 now heads to Monaco in two weeks’ time with Antonelli carrying a commanding 43-point championship lead — and with Mercedes suddenly facing the uncomfortable reality of a title fight turning into a one-driver affair.

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