Canadian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli wins; Russell DNF disaster, McLaren misery

Kimi Antonelli won a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix, one which saw his teammate George Russell retire, ending a sensational ding-dong battle between the Mercedes pair.

Russell’s Mercedes power unit let go, in what could be a pivotal point in the championship fight. Lewis Hamilton secured his best grand prix result with Ferrari, while Max Verstappen scored his first podium of the season. For McLaren, it was a story of what could go wrong, did go wrong.

Kimi Antonelli wins Canadian Grand Prix for the ages

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

A cold and dreary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve met the drivers on Grand Prix Sunday in Montreal.

However, despite the forecasted rain, the track was dry for the start.

Some cars, including the Red Bulls, did a reconnaissance lap on the intermediates, but all boxed at the end to switch to slicks.

Still, the track was going to be slippery.

Home hero Lance Stroll would start from the pit lane in his Aston Martin. He had taken a fourth Honda Energy Store and Control Electronics Unit of the season.

On the grid, we had a very intriguing split. Both Mercedes on the front row were starting on softs. The McLarens, on row two, were both on intermediates!

The Audis, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were also going to start on inters.

Piastri already felt like he was “floating around” on the formation lap on the inters.

The five red lights were held for several seconds, before a second formation lap was confirmed. The reason soon became clear: Arvid Lindblad could not get his Racing Bulls going from ninth on the grid.

Piastri said the rain was stopping and made a case for slicks. McLaren were arguing that those on slicks would have very cold tyres. Piastri said it is a “mistake”.

Lindblad’s car was still being pushed off the grid as the pack came back around into their grid slots.

Another formation lap. The race would be shortened to 68 laps.

The third time was the charm. Lights out!

Norris knew the assignment. Bolting off the line and down the inside into Turn 1, Norris was into the lead. Antonelli was second, Russell third.

Piastri had lost fourth to Hamilton, in a case of mixed fortunes at the start for McLaren.

Piastri was in at the end of the first lap for mediums.

Norris was quickly coming under pressure from Antonelli, but peeled into the pits at the end of Lap 2, also for mediums.

Russell was on the attack into Turn 1, but Antonelli held firm. Hamilton was right on the tail of his former team.

Bottas, Stroll, Lawson and Hulkenberg were noted for potentially being out of position at the start line.

Norris, now 14th, was told he could be going “very long” as he fought a major snap out of the second chicane, just about rescuing his McLaren.

By Lap 5, all drivers who started on inters had swapped to slicks. Max Verstappen was the fastest driver on track in fourth.

Russell got a run on Antonelli down the back straight on Lap 6. Russell came by, Antonelli tucked in and locked up in a major way and cut the chicane, narrowly avoiding the rear of the sister Mercedes. Russell was the new race leader.

Verstappen still looked handy and sent it down the inside of Hamilton at Turn 1, as the duo began their ninth lap. Hamilton rued “no power” as Verstappen made the move stick and improved to third.

Antonelli had settled, around a second behind Russell.

Antonelli was back on Russell by Lap 12 as the latter went wide at the hairpin. Antonelli passed, but Russell reclaimed the lead down the back straight.

Nico Hulkenberg had a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

Alex Albon had stopped on track after contact with Piastri, who clattered the Williams as he looked to go down the inside at the hairpin. Piastri was in for a front wing change and soft tyres.

Norris was called in on Lap 16 for a “reliability problem”. A clear out of the sidepods, and Norris back out in 14th. McLaren’s race continued to unravel.

Russell locked up again at the hairpin, as the Mercedes pair went wheel-to-wheel into the final chicane. Antonelli thought better of it, and filtered back in behind his teammate. Verstappen was five seconds off the squabbling Mercs.

Lap 21 – Antonelli forced Russell to go defensive into the hairpin, and again into T1, as a gripping Mercedes battle for the lead continued.

Hamilton straight-lined the second chicane as the Mercedes pair went at it again, while lapping a Cadillac, down the back straight. The latest battle was won by Antonelli, who now led the Canadian Grand Prix.

Piastri had landed a 10-second penalty for punting Albon into retirement.

This time, Antonelli got the hairpin wrong. The pair banged wheels at the end chicane, Antonelli went off, and was told to give the lead to Russell.

Antonelli claimed Russell “pushed me off,” but obliged.

Antonelli went on the attack again into the final chicane. No wheel-banging this time as a breath-taking race continued.

Fernando Alonso, who ran in the points in the early stages, was being pushed back into the Aston Martin garage, his AMR26 out of the race.

Hang on, Russell was out on Lap 30! Suddenly taking to the grass over the second chicane, Russell quickly parked his W17, launched the headrest, walked away, glancing back at his broken car in disgust, and slammed his gloves in anger.

Antonelli led again, and now had a huge opportunity to stretch his championship lead. The Virtual Safety Car was out, and Antonelli pitted for mediums. Verstappen and Hamilton did the same, as did Charles Leclerc, who lost out to Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in the pits.

Mercedes confirmed a sudden power unit failure for Russell.

Russell was noted by the stewards for his reaction which saw the headrest which he propelled land on the track.

Leclerc was forced to back out as Hadjar covered off the inside going into the T12/13 chicane. Leclerc said that was almost a “huge” incident.

Hadjar was noted over potential multiple changes of direction. That became an investigation, and a 10-second penalty.

Antonelli was 6.5 seconds clear of Verstappen as the race passed half distance.

Leclerc had the move done on Hadjar into T12/13 by Lap 40.

Meanwhile, more McLaren misery. Norris’ gearbox had gone. He parked the broken MCL40 at the hairpin run-off.

Perez was in the Cadillac pit box with a shattered front-right suspension. That was him out. The suspension let go on the way into T12.

The VSC came out on Lap 46. A marshal quickly retrieved the debris at T12/13, sprinted back to the barrier, and elegantly dived through the hole as the race returned to green.

Bottas had a five-second penalty for pit-lane speeding.

Hamilton was “pushing” as he looked to reel in P2 Verstappen, who said his tyres were “cooling” down.

Hadjar was under investigation again for a potential yellow flag infringement. Stop-and-go penalty.

A Hadjar double yellows infringement would be investigated post-race.

VSC and double yellows on Lap 53. Marshals were on the track at the hairpin.

Hadjar came in to serve his 10 seconds, and take on a set of softs. Piastri did the same.

The VSC ended on the following lap, as Leclerc half-spun out of T13. He was now 16 seconds behind Hamilton, who had reduced the gap to Verstappen to a second.

That became a few tenths. Hamilton had a look at T12/13, and again at T1, but Verstappen had that covered.

Verstappen had been holding firm, but on Lap 62, Hamilton went late on the brakes into T1, around the outside and up into P2. He was now on for his best result yet with Ferrari.

More Canadian Grand Prix talking points via PlanetF1.com

Furious George Russell left ‘lost for words’ after crushing Canadian GP retirement

Max Verstappen hits out at Juan Pablo Montoya after ‘park him’ F1 call

Hamilton was not dropping Verstappen, who wanted P2 back in the closing laps.

The story of the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix had been a frantic, thrilling race driven on the limit throughout.

Out front, Antonelli cruised onto the final lap, and claimed a fourth win on the trot, one which could be crucial in his title hopes.

Hamilton held off Verstappen to secure second, while Verstappen made the podium for the first time this season.

Full 2026 Canadian Grand Prix timesheet

1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +10.768
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +11.276
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +44.151
5 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing +1L
6 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1L
7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1L
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1L
9 Carlos Sainz Williams +1L
10 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +1L
11 Oscar Piastri McLaren +2L
12 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +2L
13 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +2L
14 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +2L
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +4L
16 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +4L
DNF Sergio Perez Cadillac
DNF Lando Norris McLaren
DNF George Russell Mercedes
DNF Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
DNF Alexander Albon Williams
DNS Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next – F1 schedule: When is the next race and where is it being held?