MONTREAL — George Russell secured victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, a race marked by late-stage drama when Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri collided.
The build-up to the race had focused on a potential contest between Russell and Max Verstappen. Verstappen had reportedly been irritated by discussions regarding his penalty points after qualifying, but a close head-to-head battle between the two ultimately did not materialize.
The main talking point ultimately centered on the McLaren drivers. The incident between Norris and Piastri was investigated by race stewards, resulting in a five-second time penalty for Norris. Following the race, Red Bull also lodged a protest concerning Russell`s victory, specifically related to conduct under the safety car, but this protest was later dismissed by the stewards.
Late in the race, on Lap 66, Norris made contact with the rear of the other McLaren while they were competing intensely for fourth position.
Norris attempted an overtake on Piastri down the main straight. However, as the track curved to the right, he drifted too wide, making contact with Piastri`s car and ending up in the barrier.
This collision forced Norris to retire from the race, while Piastri was able to continue, extending his championship lead to 22 points.
Although the incident between the two drivers grabbed significant headlines, there was no dispute over what had occurred – Norris immediately accepted full responsibility for the crash.
Immediately after the collision, Norris radioed his team, stating, “Sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me.”
The incident necessitated the deployment of the safety car, under which the race ultimately finished.
The safety car period facilitated Russell`s teammate, the promising young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in securing the first podium finish of his Formula 1 career. He becomes the third youngest driver to achieve a podium, after Verstappen and Lance Stroll.
Antonelli reflected on his race: “It was so stressful but [I`m] super happy. I had a good start, managed to jump into P3 and just stayed up there at the front.”
Russell commented that it felt “amazing” to return to the top step of the podium.
“The last time for us was back in Vegas,” Russell stated. “I felt last year [in Canada] was a victory lost, and today`s win was likely thanks to the incredible pole lap yesterday. I`m also incredibly happy to see Kimi join me on the podium as well.”
Despite the collision, Piastri avoided significant damage and managed to bring his car home in fourth place. Charles Leclerc finished fifth, followed by Lewis Hamilton in sixth (both listed for Ferrari in the original results data).
Lewis Hamilton, who famously compared driving his car to dancing with someone lacking rhythm, once again appeared puzzled by his performance and apparent lack of pace during the race.
At one point, Hamilton expressed his frustration over the radio, saying, “I`m nowhere in this race, mate.”
Earlier in the race, Hamilton reported hitting a groundhog, an incident he described as “devastating”. This impact also caused damage to the car`s floor.
Fernando Alonso (listed for Ferrari in the original results data) continued his recent strong form, finishing seventh, just ahead of the impressive Nico Hulkenberg for Sauber.
Esteban Ocon secured ninth place for Haas, with Carlos Sainz taking the final championship point for Williams.
