Russell seized victory in a tense Canadian GP after a dramatic late collision between McLaren teammates Piastri and Norris.
Qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix brought a surprise, with no McLaren F1 driver managing to secure a front-row start. George Russell, the pole-sitter, and Max Verstappen will line up at the front of the grid when the lights go out.
The Mercedes driver seized the opportunity to put pressure on his Red Bull rival, who is close to a suspension and could be sidelined in Austria at the slightest misstep. The Dutchman expressed frustration over the ongoing talk, dismissing it as “childish.”
Having already stated earlier in the week that he would not change his approach, Verstappen could be involved in a tense start — one that Oscar Piastri will hope to capitalize on as he starts from third.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton are both in the top five ahead of Fernando Alonso, while Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are relegated to a disappointing fourth row. Alex Albon starts ninth, ahead of Franco Colapinto, who qualified 12th and gains from two grid penalties.
Nico Hülkenberg starts 11th, ahead of Isack Hadjar, who had qualified ninth but received a three-place grid penalty on Saturday. Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon make up the seventh row alongside the two Haas cars, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, and Yuki Tsunoda, who had set the 11th-best qualifying time but was handed a ten-place grid penalty.
Tire strategy will play a crucial role, with the C6 compound proving difficult to manage over long stints. Teams are expected to rely heavily on the hard tire, whose durability will determine their approach to other stints.
19:20: Two drivers will start from the pit lane as their teams made unauthorized changes under parc fermé conditions. Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson will not take the start alongside their peers.
19:29: Pirelli predicts that most teams will opt for a two-stop strategy. Possible approaches include medium-hard-medium and medium-hard-hard, with the first stop expected between laps 15 and 20. A soft-hard-hard combination is also possible, with a stop as early as lap eight. A medium-hard one-stop is an option, though unlikely, with a stop projected between laps 24 and 30.
19:40: Both front-row starters have expressed concern about the race’s difficulty. Russell acknowledges that the day’s heat is “not good news” for Mercedes, whose W16 performs better in cooler conditions. Verstappen, on the other hand, expects a “super long” race.
19:44: Hamilton sounds more upbeat: “We have fresher tires than the cars around us. I’m going to try to get on the podium today,” he said, starting from the third row.
19:50: The air temperature is 23 degrees Celsius, but the sun is blazing, and track temperatures have reached 49 degrees.
19:53: Colapinto experienced brake issues on the formation lap, and Alpine replaced the faulty part. Dave Greenwood confirmed the issue but stated that “everything is fine.”
19:58: Norris, Leclerc, Ocon, Bortoleto, Sainz, Stroll, Tsunoda, Lawson, and Gasly will start on hard tires; the rest are on mediums.
Race Start: Russell gets a strong launch and takes the lead ahead of Verstappen, while Antonelli attacks Piastri.
Lap 1: Hülkenberg gains two places; Albon loses three after going straight through a chicane. Antonelli passes Piastri.
Lap 2: Russell does not have a full second over Verstappen, who is now under threat from Antonelli.
Lap 3: Russell sets the fastest lap in 1:16.437, then Verstappen goes quicker with a 1:16.418. Gaps remain tight, though Piastri trails Antonelli by 1.6 seconds.
Lap 4: Russell clocks 1:16.253, but Verstappen counters with 1:16.094. Antonelli drops to 1.6 seconds behind, with a 1.3-second buffer to Piastri. Alonso is close behind Hamilton at six-tenths.
Lap 5: Russell posts a 1:15.986, but Verstappen tops it with 1:15.925. The lead gap remains under a second, Antonelli trails Verstappen by 2 seconds. Piastri is 1.7 behind Antonelli and a second clear of Hamilton. Alonso follows, 1.5 ahead of Norris, who leads Leclerc by 2.5 seconds.
Lap 6: Russell improves to 1:15.808; Verstappen does not respond this time. Alonso continues to pressure Hamilton. Verstappen falls out of DRS range at 1.1 seconds.
Lap 7: Could Mercedes be the surprise despite the heat? Antonelli gains slightly on Verstappen, lapping just two-tenths slower than Russell, while Verstappen is slower. Leclerc is losing pace to Norris, now 3.2 seconds behind.
Lap 8: Russell and Verstappen both lose pace. Antonelli, now at 1.5 seconds, is fastest on track.
Lap 9: Russell and Antonelli run 1:16.4; Verstappen is at 1:16.6. Alonso is now the fastest, marginally ahead of Piastri.
Lap 10: Russell leads Verstappen by 1.7 seconds, with Antonelli closing in to 1.1 seconds behind the Dutchman. Piastri reports less front degradation than in FP2 but more wear at the rear. He trails Antonelli by 2.3 seconds.
Lap 11: Verstappen, now 2 seconds behind Russell, complains about “fragile” tires. Antonelli is within a second. Leclerc also complains about degradation, confirmed to be worse than expected across the field. Alonso is losing ground to Hamilton; Norris overtakes him for sixth.
Lap 12: Russell pulls out a 2.2-second lead. Antonelli is close to Verstappen. Norris has already distanced Alonso. Antonelli attacks Verstappen, who pits.
Lap 13: Both Mercedes are now in front. Verstappen returns in ninth on hard tires. Albon has an engine issue, but Williams considers it less serious than the one in Barcelona. Leclerc overtakes Alonso.
Lap 14: Russell pits to avoid a Verstappen undercut, handing the lead to Antonelli. Russell rejoins seventh ahead of Hülkenberg and Verstappen. Sainz overtakes Bortoleto, who defends well. Hadjar also pits.
Lap 15: Antonelli pits too, but had less margin than Russell — Verstappen gets back ahead. He’s three-tenths behind the Sauber, while Antonelli trails by three seconds. Piastri leads, 3.5 seconds clear of Norris, who has passed Hamilton. Hamilton and Alonso pit.
Lap 16: Piastri leads Norris by 3.3 seconds, and Leclerc by 6.7. Russell is 10.2 seconds behind the leader, with a 2.1-second cushion to Verstappen, who has passed Hülkenberg. Antonelli is closing on the Sauber, followed by Albon and Ocon, both yet to stop, then Hamilton.
Lap 17: Piastri pits. Norris and Leclerc now lead ahead of early race leader Russell. Piastri rejoins seventh behind Antonelli.
Lap 18: Norris has a 3.3-second lead over Leclerc, with Russell gaining — now 3 seconds behind Leclerc. Verstappen keeps pace with the Mercedes, trailing by 2.2 seconds. Antonelli is slower, 4.6 behind the Red Bull.
Lap 19: Piastri sets the fastest lap in 1:15.570 after passing Hülkenberg.
Breaking: Meanwhile, a major shake-up at Renault, as CEO Luca De Meo — a strong supporter of Alpine — departs. This could signal a turbulent period ahead for the team.
Lap 20: Norris still leads Leclerc by 3 seconds. Russell closes to 2.3 seconds. Verstappen maintains similar pace. Antonelli falls to 5 seconds behind. Piastri holds station ahead of Ocon, Hamilton, Sainz, and Albon.
Lap 21: Verstappen is within 2 seconds of Russell, who is closing on Leclerc. After being passed by Sainz, Albon vents over the radio: “I don’t know why you’re not listening to me, it’s really frustrating.”
Lap 22: Tsunoda passes Albon, who’s still on mediums. He pleads to pit, but Williams keeps him out, and he’s losing three seconds per lap to the leaders.
Lap 23: Norris still holds a 3-second lead over Leclerc. Russell closes to 1.7 seconds. Verstappen is 1.4 behind him. Antonelli is 5.4 seconds back. Piastri has a 3-second buffer to Hamilton. Bortoleto passes Albon, who continues to tumble.
Lap 24: Alonso overtakes Albon, who’s nearing the back of the pack. Verstappen is now clearly the fastest driver and closes to 1.3 seconds of Russell. Alonso passes Bortoleto, and Stroll gets by Albon.
Lap 25: Albon finally pits, emerging last on hard tires. At the front, Russell and Verstappen close on Leclerc, who has yet to pit. Leclerc’s engineer suggests switching to Plan B. He counters: “Plan C?” The team agrees.
Lap 26: Russell sets a new fastest lap at 1:15.563 and is right behind Leclerc. Verstappen is 1.3 seconds back. Antonelli trails by 6.4. Russell passes Leclerc, closing in on Norris.
Lap 27: The McLaren driver leads by just 2.2 seconds over Russell, whose pace is over a second quicker per lap.
Lap 28: Russell narrows the gap to 1.8 seconds. Verstappen is within range of Leclerc and 1.8 behind Russell. Antonelli is 6 seconds back, 2.5 ahead of Piastri. Hamilton trails the McLaren by 13.2 seconds. Ocon, yet to stop, leads the Williams pair and Alonso.
Lap 29: Russell gains to 1.4 seconds behind Norris. Verstappen, unable to pass Leclerc, sees him finally pit. Verstappen is now 1.8 seconds off Russell. Leclerc rejoins sixth on new hards, implying a two-stop strategy as Pirelli expected. The Monegasque driver is puzzled: “I don’t understand this choice.”
Lap 30: Norris now comes into the pits. Russell regains the lead with a 1.9-second advantage over Verstappen. Antonelli is 5.5 seconds behind the Red Bull, and Piastri trails the Mercedes by 2.4 seconds. Norris rejoins in fourth place behind his teammate, on medium tires. With 40 laps remaining, it is clear the Briton will be making two stops.
Lap 31: Piastri sets the fastest lap of the race in 1:15.272, but Antonelli also finds pace and closes in on Verstappen, who is 2.2 seconds behind Russell. Leclerc is frustrated: “Why did we stop?” Upon being told the team was on Plan B, he responds that he had said his tires were fine.
Lap 32: Norris now clocks the fastest lap in 1:15.255. Alonso’s engineer advises him to be “gentle into turns 3 and 8,” to which the Spaniard, as witty as ever, replies: “We’re racing, not testing!”
Lap 33: Russell increases his lead over Verstappen to over 3 seconds. Antonelli closes to 4.1 seconds behind the Red Bull, and Piastri follows closely at 2.1 seconds. Norris is 7.3 seconds behind his teammate and holds a 3.2-second gap over Leclerc, who in turn is 6 seconds clear of Hamilton. Ocon and Sainz have yet to stop, and Alonso is closing in on them.
Lap 34: Norris records the fastest lap in 1:15.185, and Leclerc also picks up the pace. Alonso overtakes Sainz for ninth place. Up front, Verstappen is losing seven-tenths per lap to the Mercedes.
Lap 35: Russell gains another half-second on Verstappen, and Antonelli takes back six-tenths. Norris lowers the fastest lap to 1:15.002.
Lap 36: The gap between Russell and Verstappen stretches to 4.7 seconds, with Antonelli closing to within 2 seconds of the Red Bull. Norris goes even faster with a 1:14.966. Behind them, Alonso is reeling in Ocon, who is clearly aiming for a one-stop strategy, like Sainz, Tsunoda, Bortoleto, Lawson, and Gasly. Colapinto overtakes the latter.
Lap 37: Antonelli is just 1.1 seconds from Verstappen. Hamilton says he is “nowhere” in this race, and his engineer tells him the pace is decent considering the damage. Apparently, the Briton hit a beaver on the circuit.
Lap 38: Before Antonelli can attack, Verstappen pits again, prompting a second wave of stops. He rejoins sixth, between the Ferraris, on another set of hard tires. Alonso has overtaken Ocon, Hülkenberg passes Bortoleto, and Colapinto gets ahead of Lawson.
Lap 39: Mercedes wants to prevent Antonelli from rejoining too far behind, so he also pits. He emerges less than a second behind the Red Bull, also on hard tires.
Lap 40: Norris sets the fastest lap of the race in 1:14.725 and closes to within 4.4 seconds of his teammate. Asked about the risk of graining if he tries to go to the end on his current tires, he says he already sees a wear band.
Lap 41: Russell has an 8.3-second lead over Piastri, who is 3.8 seconds ahead of Norris. Leclerc follows with a 6.9-second gap over Verstappen, while Antonelli has quickly settled into the rhythm and is now 1.1 seconds behind the Red Bull.
Lap 42: The two leaders are lapping in the 1:15.4 range, Norris in 1:15.1, Leclerc in 1:15.2, same as Verstappen. Antonelli drops slightly to 1.4 seconds behind Verstappen. Hamilton is doing 1:16.2, and Alonso 1:16.1, but is 20 seconds behind the Ferrari.
Lap 43: Russell pits and rejoins in fourth place, 4 seconds ahead of Verstappen, with tires five laps fresher. Piastri takes the lead, followed by Norris and Leclerc, then Russell. Hadjar passes Gasly for 15th. In the current standings, Ocon, Sainz, Tsunoda (ninth, tenth, and eleventh), Bortoleto (13th), and Gasly (16th) have not yet pitted.
Lap 44: Norris closes to within 2.8 seconds of Piastri and brings Leclerc with him, who is 5 seconds behind the second McLaren. Russell is 3.4 seconds behind Leclerc and holds a 3.4-second lead over Verstappen, who remains faster than the Mercedes at the start of the stint. Antonelli is 2 seconds behind the Red Bull.
Lap 45: Piastri, having complained about tire degradation, finds a better pace, but Leclerc is significantly quicker. Russell stretches his gap to Verstappen back to 3.1 seconds, and Antonelli stays 2 seconds behind. Gasly runs off at the final chicane without consequence, surrendering position to Stroll.
Lap 46: Piastri and Hamilton both pit. The McLaren driver comes out sixth, and the Ferrari driver stays ahead of Alonso in seventh.
Lap 47: Norris holds a 5-second advantage over Leclerc, and Russell has closed to within 2.6 seconds of the Ferrari. Verstappen is 3.2 seconds back, and Antonelli 1.9. Stroll is under investigation for forcing Gasly onto the grass.
Lap 48: Norris pits, leaving Leclerc in the lead ahead of Russell, Verstappen, and Antonelli. Piastri passes his teammate, who rejoins on hard tires and is now back on the standard strategy.
Lap 49: Russell closes to within 2.7 seconds of Leclerc. Verstappen is 3.2 seconds behind and Antonelli 1.7. Albon retires with a mechanical problem. Hülkenberg takes 11th from Tsunoda.
Lap 50: Stroll receives a 10-second penalty for forcing Gasly onto the grass. At the front, Russell is 1.6 seconds behind Leclerc, Verstappen 2.9, and Antonelli begins to close in, though he is now under threat from Piastri.
Lap 51: Piastri sets the fastest lap of the race in 1:14.531, only to be beaten by Norris in 1:14.494. Up front, gaps are tightening between Leclerc, Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, and Piastri. Alonso pits for the second time and rejoins in 12th.
Lap 52: Piastri’s engineer tells him Leclerc’s pace is dropping and that the fight for second place includes Verstappen, Antonelli, and himself. He closes to within a second of the Italian. Stroll serves his penalty. Leclerc questions what the team is waiting for to pit him, wanting a long stint on the medium.
Lap 53: Russell is 1.5 seconds back and Verstappen closes to within 2.3 of the Mercedes. Antonelli is 1.4 behind, with Piastri catching up. Norris is pushing to catch the group.
Lap 54: Leclerc pits as Norris nearly beats the fastest lap again. The Monegasque rejoins sixth, 10 seconds behind Norris and 19 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Alonso passes Tsunoda for 11th. Gasly finally makes his pit stop.
Lap 55: Russell has a 2.2-second lead over Verstappen, who is being caught by Antonelli, now 1.4 seconds back. Piastri is 0.6 seconds behind the Mercedes, and Norris is 2.5 seconds behind Piastri.
Lap 56: Norris sets the fastest lap in 1:14.239. Piastri gets very close to Antonelli but cannot get past; both remain close to Verstappen.
Lap 57: Verstappen is gaining on Russell, now just 1.6 seconds behind. Antonelli is 1.8 from the Red Bull, which once again seems the fastest car on track. Piastri stays within a second of Antonelli, and Norris is 1.7 seconds behind his teammate. Tsunoda pits for the first time. Lawson retires to avoid damaging his engine, which was new.
Lap 58: Verstappen is 1.5 seconds behind Russell, and Antonelli is 1.8 back. Piastri is 1.3 behind, and Norris 1.1. The top five are covered by 5.8 seconds. Ocon and Sainz make their sole pit stops, allowing Hülkenberg to take eighth and Alonso ninth. Ocon re-emerges in tenth just ahead of Sainz and then overtakes him for 11th. Colapinto holds off Bearman behind them.
Lap 59: Russell builds a small buffer with a 1.8-second lead. Antonelli is 1.7 behind Verstappen and has pushed Piastri back to 1.5. The Australian’s biggest threat is now Norris, who is only seven-tenths behind. Sainz retakes Colapinto.
Lap 60: Verstappen drops time again, now 2.1 seconds behind Russell. Antonelli is 1.5 behind. Norris is pressing hard, just half a second off Piastri. Bearman takes 12th from Colapinto.
Lap 61: The close gaps do not appear to be leading to overtakes as we enter the final ten laps. McLaren considers stopping Norris for softs if a safety car is deployed.
Lap 62: Russell maintains a 2.1-second lead over Verstappen, who still has a 1.7-second gap to Antonelli. Piastri is 1.3 behind, and Norris remains within half a second. Alonso takes eighth from Hülkenberg. Norris gets aggressive and pulls alongside, but Piastri does not yield.
Lap 63: Russell increases his lead again. Antonelli is 1.9 behind and sees Piastri return to within a second, which could help the Australian fend off Norris. In tenth, Ocon has pushed Sainz 1.5 seconds behind.
Lap 64: Russell sets the fastest lap of the race in 1:14.119 and extends his lead to 2.5 seconds. Antonelli is more than 2 seconds behind Verstappen, and both McLarens are glued to the rear of the Mercedes.
Lap 65: Piastri is six-tenths behind Antonelli, and Norris just four-tenths behind his teammate. Tsunoda passes Colapinto, and Bortoleto overtakes Hadjar.
Lap 66: Antonelli manages to keep both McLarens behind, but all three drivers are covered by six-tenths. The gaps from Russell to Verstappen and Verstappen to Antonelli have stabilized. Norris attacks Piastri, and the two nearly make contact.
Lap 67: Norris launches an attack down the straight and puts two wheels on the grass. The Briton hits the wall and brings out the safety car. His race is over, and the safety car is deployed. The very collision McLaren feared has come true.
Lap 68: Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, and Piastri all pit. Replays show Norris made contact with Piastri while trying to squeeze into an already closed gap. On the radio, Norris admits: “Sorry, it’s my fault, my mistake.”
Lap 69: Drivers must pass through the pits, and it appears the race will end under the safety car. Russell leads from Verstappen, Antonelli, Piastri, Leclerc, and Hamilton. Alonso is seventh ahead of Hülkenberg, Ocon, and Sainz. Verstappen overtook Russell under the safety car after a braking incident, and both complain over the radio.
Final lap: The race looks set to finish under the safety car.
Finish: Russell takes his first win of the season, unexpectedly, in hot conditions. Verstappen finishes second and will gain ground on Norris in the championship.
Antonelli secures his first career podium at 18 years old. He finishes ahead of Piastri, who extends his championship lead, followed by Leclerc and Hamilton, with the Ferraris having had an anonymous race.
Alonso scores six points in seventh, followed by Hülkenberg. Ocon scores two points, and Sainz grabs the final point in tenth. Bearman follows in 11th ahead of Tsunoda, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Gasly, Hadjar, and Stroll.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | George Russell | Mercedes W16 | 70 Laps – 1h31m52.688s |
| 02 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | +0.228 |
| 03 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W16 | +1.014 |
| 04 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | +2.109 |
| 05 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-25 | +3.442 |
| 06 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-25 | +10.713 |
| 07 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | +10.972 |
| 08 | Nico Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | +15.364 |
| 09 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | +1 tour |
| 10 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW47 | +1 tour |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | +1 tour |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | +1 tour |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault A525 | +1 tour |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | +1 tour |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A525 | +1 tour |
| 16 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | +1 tour |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | +1 tour |
| 18 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | DNF |
| 19 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | DNF |
| 20 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW47 | DNF |
