Canadian Grand Prix Race Review

Canadian Grand Prix Race Review

Oh Canada – what a race we had this weekend.

For the first 30 laps of this enthralling Grand Prix, the two Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, delivered a battle for the ages. The young teenager showed the experienced Russell that he’s no joke, and that George will need to take him very seriously going forward given the championship he’s put together so far this season. Winning four races in a row at this stage of the year is seriously impressive form, and Antonelli is making it clear he’s not here to play a supporting role to anyone.

What made it even better was that Toto Wolff and Mercedes let the pair fight it out on track with no intervention – the complete opposite of McLaren’s papaya‑rules approach last season. It’s exactly what Formula 1 needs right now. When one team has a dominant car, letting the drivers race shows that these regulations, despite being much maligned, still have their positives.

It was a shame that the fight ended with Russell suffering an engine problem. His frustration was clear as he threw the headrest from the car when climbing out. He knows how vital this race was, and going forward he’s going to have to make sure he picks up a lot more points if he wants to challenge Antonelli after the start the teenager has had.

Another highlight of the weekend was seeing a genuinely happy Lewis Hamilton driving well in a Ferrari. Coming into the weekend, Hamilton said he wasn’t going to use the simulator going forward – and who knows if that was the magic ingredient – but it certainly seemed to work. He finished second, after a brilliant late‑race battle with Max Verstappen, including a superb overtake around the outside into Turn One. It was also great to see the old foes of Lewis and Max lock horns again – a rivalry that defined an era, briefly reignited in the heat of Montreal. For Verstappen, the result marked his first podium of the season, a much‑needed boost after a difficult start to the year.

His teammate, Charles Leclerc, wasn’t on the same level this weekend. He admitted he struggled with the car and wants to improve going forward. Red Bull were solidly in the top six, with Max doing everything he could to bring home fourth.

The big story, though, was McLaren. At the start, they were convinced the intermediate tyre was the right choice – when it clearly wasn’t. Despite having multiple formation laps to correct it, they didn’t listen to their drivers, and it cost them dearly. Their day got even worse: Piastri picked up a penalty after colliding with Albon, and Norris later retired with a gearbox issue. A brutal weekend all round.

Further down the field there was plenty going on, even if it didn’t grab the headlines. Alpine had another strong day with Franco Colapinto finishing sixth and Gasly just behind Lawson in eighth after a tight scrap. Williams picked up more points with Sainz in ninth, and Ollie Bearman rounded out the top ten for Haas. There were six retirements in total – Russell, Norris, Perez, Alonso, Albon and Lindblad, who didn’t even make the start due to a clutch issue. Perez dropped out with a suspension failure, Alonso retired with a seat problem, and Albon was taken out in the Piastri collision. The rest of the midfield – Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Ocon, Stroll and Bottas – kept it clean but never really threatened the points. A busy day for the stewards, a bruising one for McLaren, and a reminder that even outside the spotlight, the midfield never sleeps.

And as the paddock packs up after a wild weekend in Montreal, the questions only get bigger. Antonelli looks unstoppable, Russell has a mountain to climb, Hamilton and Verstappen have rediscovered that old spark, and the midfield is one bad call away from turning the whole season upside down. Canada felt like the spark that finally lit the fuse on this title fight. Mercedes are alive, the rivalry is real, and the next few races suddenly carry a very different weight.

By Daniel Collins