CANADIAN GP – George Russell wins by a quarter of a second, as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collide in the closing stages
George Russell has taken his first win of the season after finishing ahead of Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver led the Red Bull driver home as the race finished behind the safety car following a collision between the two McLaren drivers in the closing stages.
Russell has driven beautifully all weekend as he converted pole into his first win of the season with his teammate Kimi Antonelli finishing third nearly eight-tenths behind Verstappen. Antonelli scored his first podium of his career as he was a second ahead of the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
Russell never looked to be under treat from Verstappen after fending him off at Turn One and Senna (Turn Two), before building a decent gap to retain the lead when he made his final stop on lap forty-three and took Mercedes first win in any format since Las Vegas last November. But the Dutchman’s earlier stop allowed him to hold off Antonelli in the closing stages.
Russell said, “It’s amazing to be back on the top step. The last time for us was back in Vegas. I felt last year was a victory lost and probably got the victory today due to the incredible pole lap yesterday. Obviously so happy to see Kimi on the podium as well, amazing day for the team.”
Verstappen, who finished second in Montreal: “It was quite a good race, even though in the first two stints we were struggling quite a bit on the tyres, so we were doing quite an aggressive strategy but luckily in the final stint we managed to hang in there and actually the pace was a little better, lower fuel loads so that was good.”
Antonelli takes his first F1 podium in third: “It was so stressful but super happy, I had a good start I managed to jump into P3 and I just stayed up there at the front. The last stint I pushed a bit too hard behind Max [Verstappen] and I killed a bit of the front left and I struggled a bit at the end, but I’m really happy to bring the podium home.”
However following the race, Red Bull launched a protest against Russell for driving erratically by slowing down dramatically, forcing the world champion to overshoot him approaching the final chicane. Also several drivers have been noted for a safety car infringement, should the stewards investgate
At time of publishing 17:30 EST / 23:30 BST no decision had been made.
Piastri got the cut-back on Norris out of the corner and they drove down the back straight towards the final chicane side by side, Piastri on the inside. Approaching the last corner, Norris braked earlier than Piastri, intending to get a quicker run through the chicane and attempt a move into the first corner.
In a scene reminiscent of the collision between the two McLarens in nearly the same place in 2011, as Norris tried to pass Piastri as they crossed the line to start lap sixty-six, Norris tried to go for a small gap but found himself squeaked against the wall and then hit the wall as his teammate fended him off.
But the incidents were different, yet bear the same echoes of one of the greatest Grands Prix of all time. In 2011, Lewis Hamilton had some of his car alongside Jenson Button, who moved over slightly. This time, Norris did not have space to edge alongside and appeared to misjudge the manoeuvre.
Norris immediately took responsibility for the “stupid” collision which broke his front suspension and that meant his teammate Piastri dropped to fourth, meaning for the first time this season neither McLaren finished on the podium.
He told Sky Sports, “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. Glad I didn’t ruin in his race. In the end apologies to the team.”
Piastri finished in fourth added, “It’s not ideal for anyone, I’ve not actually seen the incident so I don’t know exactly what happened, but if Lando [Norris] has taken full responsibility then that’s how it goes I guess.
Piastri finishing two seconds behind Antonelli after he had previously in the moments leading up to the collision had been running side by side along the Casino Straight, which they resumed after going through the Wall of Champions chicane. But it appears Norris had gotten out the chicane better and got alongside, before colliding with his teammate.
Even before that, McLaren while they remained in the hunt, throughout this weekend they haven’t shown their usual race pace or tyre wear advantage in Canada, despite Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve being a track that emphasises rear tyre management. McLaren has always been clear it was ‘when not if’ there was a collision, they have been confident they can manage the situation.
Piastri finished the race over a second ahead of the Ferrari’s, with Charles Leclerc comfortably seven and a half seconds ahead of his teammate Hamilton. However, the seven-time Montreal winner spent much of the race on the backfoot following a collision with a groundhog, which damaged his car’s floor and cost some downforce.
On a weekend where questions have started to be asked about the future of Fred Vasseur, Leclerc was angry with Ferrari’s decision to abandon a manageable one-stop strategy and switch to a two-stop. The damage to Hamilton costing him roughly half a second per lap and led to a lonely race.
Like Norris, Leclerc started on the hard tyre and ran a long first stint. He told the team he wanted to run much longer and try a one-stop, but instead, they pitted him on lap twenty-eight, one before Norris, and fitted another set of hards, which meant he was now locked into a two-stop.
Fernando Alonso finished best of the rest in seventh the Aston Martin driver just over two hundredths behind Hamilton, and ahead of the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg by four seconds as they were the final cars on the lead lap. Carlos Sainz completed the points scores a lap down as he finished four-tenths ahead of the Haas of Ollie Bearman.
Williams had looked to have decent pace but failed to capitalise after Alex Albon, who was also running in the top ten, retired with an engine issue with twenty-two laps remaining shortly followed by Liam Lawson.
Yuki Tsunoda brought his Red Bull home twelfth as he was almost a second and three quarters behind Bearman, as he finished a second and a half ahead of Franco Colapinto. Gabriel Bortoleto was seven hundredths ahead of Pierre Gasly, the Alpine driver seven-tenths ahead of his fellow Frenchman Isack Hadjar.
Lance Stroll was the last driver to cross the line, as his home race didn’t give him much luck the Canadian just over three-tenths behind Hadjar. Norris was classified in eighteenth after completing the minimum distance, but he was four laps down because he completed over ninety per cent of the race.
The only retirements other than Norris, were Liam Lawson with an unspecified issue and Albon.
Related
- Canadian GP – Qualifying Result
- CANADIAN GP – George Russell beats Max Verstappen to pole by a tenth and a half, as McLaren struggle
- CANADIAN GP – George Russell three hundredths faster than Lando Norris in second practice
- CANADIAN GP – Max Verstappen fastest by four hundredths as Williams show strong pace in first practice
- Welcome to the Canadian Grand Prix – 2025
- PRIXVIEW – Canadian Grand Prix 2025