Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday in Montreal, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. George Russell, who started from pole position and battled for much of the race with his Mercedes teammate, retired on lap 30 with a technical problem. Antonelli thus secured his fourth consecutive victory and extended his lead in the Drivers' Championship to 43 points.
A race reduced to 68 laps after a chaotic start
The Grand Prix began in tricky conditions, with a cold track, residual moisture, and uncertain tire choices. Arvid Lindblad was held up on the grid due to a clutch problem, resulting in additional formation laps and reducing the race distance to 68 laps. Several teams experimented with intermediate tires, notably McLaren, but the track conditions quickly forced a return to slicks.
The Russell-Antonelli duel is raising tensions at Mercedes.
Russell and Antonelli livened up the early stages of the race with a direct battle for the win. The two Mercedes drivers traded the lead, with several close braking maneuvers and very tight passes. Russell still looked like he could fight for the victory when he suddenly slowed on lap 30, before bringing his car to a stop at the side of the track. This retirement proved very costly for him in the Championship, as he scored no points while Antonelli took 25.
Antonelli controls the end of the race
After Russell's retirement, Antonelli maintained control of the race. The Mercedes driver used the virtual safety car to manage his lead, then maintained a pace sufficient to secure the victory. He finished 10 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton and 11 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.
Hamilton achieves his best result with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton finished second after a prolonged duel with Max Verstappen. The Briton overtook the Red Bull driver in the closing laps and held on until the checkered flag. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Isack Hadjar, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, and Oliver Bearman.
McLaren leaves without a point
McLaren had a difficult race. Lando Norris lost significant ground after the initial poor choice of intermediate tires, before retiring with a gearbox problem. Oscar Piastri, involved in a collision with Alexander Albon and penalized, finished 11th, outside the points.
The Championship swings decisively in Antonelli's favor
In the drivers' standings, Antonelli now has 131 points, compared to Russell's 88. Charles Leclerc follows with 75 points, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who has closed the gap to 72. In the constructors' championship, Mercedes has taken a commanding lead with 219 points, ahead of Ferrari with 147 and McLaren with 106.
