Teenager Stuns the Field

LIVE: Can anyone catch up to Kimi Antonelli?

Kimi Antonelli was once again too fast for the competition in Canada.(Bild: AFP/RUDY CAREZZEVOLI)

At the Canadian Grand Prix, 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli once again blew past the competition to claim his fourth win of the season in just his fifth race! Teammate George Russell retired after a long Mercedes duel due to technical issues. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen rounded out the podium.

Kimi Antonelli won the thrilling Canadian Grand Prix, benefiting from the retirement of his Mercedes teammate George Russell. The 19-year-old Italian celebrated his fourth consecutive Formula 1 victory of the season on Sunday in Montreal, extending his lead over Russell in the overall standings to 43 points. The Brit had to retire his Silver Arrow while leading due to engine problems. Lewis Hamilton finished second in the Ferrari ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

“It’s a real shame he had to retire like that!”
Antonelli was overjoyed after extending his winning streak, even though he would have preferred to beat Russell on the track. “The duel with George was really fun. It’s a real shame he had to retire like that. But I’ll take it—I’m absolutely happy, of course,” said the Mercedes rising star. “It feels so great. I’m so happy; I love this track,” Hamilton said contentedly after his best result for Ferrari. Verstappen was also pleased with his best result of the current season. “It’s absolutely positive to get the first podium,” said the Dutchman.

Here are the final results:

For Mercedes, it was their fifth victory on the fifth Grand Prix weekend. However, this one had a bitter aftertaste because pole-setter Russell had to bury his dreams of victory through no fault of his own. The defending champion climbed out of his car visibly annoyed and threw his gloves on the ground. World Champion Lando Norris, who—like teammate Oscar Piastri—had lost many positions due to a tactical blunder by the McLaren team, also had to retire due to technical issues. The expected rain chaos failed to materialize.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on a visit
After Saturday’s emotional team battle between Sprint winner Russell and Antonelli—following a near-collision and angry radio exchanges—had been the dominant topic, Sunday was all about the weather—and the World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino used the Grand Prix at the co-host venue to have his picture taken wearing the jersey of the NHL team Montreal Canadiens, alongside the World Cup trophy and several stars of the premier class of motorsport.

Dry tires or rain tires?
On the track, the teams faced a tire gamble, as it was drizzling on Ile Notre-Dame before the start, but the track wasn’t actually wet. The Mercedes duo on the front row, as well as the two Ferraris and Red Bulls, opted for dry tires, while the McLaren duo on the second row took a risk with a set of intermediate tires. The eagerly anticipated start of the race was delayed by two warm-up laps, as the five lights on the starting grid failed to go out on the first attempt and Arvid Lindblad’s stalled Racing Bull had to be pushed away.

McLaren gambled wrong on their tire choice.(Bild: AFP/PETER FOX)

Tire drama at McLaren
Norris took the lead from third on the grid, but just like Piastri, the Sprint runner-up had to change his tire set early. Meanwhile, Antonelli passed Russell, with the Silver Arrows being chased by Hamilton and Verstappen. At the end of the 6th of 68 laps, there was nearly another Mercedes drama: Russell passed Antonelli, who braked too late and nearly crashed into the rear of his teammate. Shortly after, Verstappen braked past Hamilton to take third place.

Russell out with engine failure
In the low temperatures at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Russell and Antonelli engaged in a thrilling, evenly matched duel for nearly 30 laps. Then Russell’s engine failed, and Antonelli was able to complete his laps in the lead with a comfortable gap over Verstappen. The four-time champion, who started the race from sixth on the grid, had a race to remember, but with six laps to go, the Dutchman was overtaken by seven-time Montreal winner Hamilton.