Kimi Antonelli tightened his grip on the 2026 Formula 1 world championship with a commanding win at the Canadian Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton secured second place for his best grand prix finish since joining Ferrari. Max Verstappen completed the podium in third.
Antonelli’s afternoon was defined early by an intense fight with Mercedes teammate and title rival George Russell. The pair traded the lead and ran perilously close at the final chicane, prompting firm radio messages urging them to keep it clean and protect the team’s result.
Mercedes’ day unraveled on lap 31 when Russell suffered a catastrophic loss of power. He coasted over the grass and parked up, visibly furious as he threw his headrest from the cockpit. With Russell out, Antonelli’s advantage in the standings ballooned to 43 points.
Ferrari and Red Bull capitalized on Russell’s retirement and McLaren’s troubled day. Despite an early mistake and a slow pit stop, Hamilton hunted down Verstappen in the closing stages and completed a decisive move into Turn 1 on lap 62 of 68 to claim P2. Charles Leclerc followed in fourth.
A light pre-race shower scrambled strategy and split the grid across softs, mediums and intermediates. McLaren opted for inters despite their drivers questioning the call on the formation lap, a decision that quickly proved costly as the track dried.
Lando Norris used the initial grip to surge into the lead at Turn 1 but was in for slicks within minutes; his race later ended with a gearbox failure at the final hairpin. Oscar Piastri’s afternoon was further compromised by contact with Alex Albon on lap 13, which broke his front wing and earned him a 10-second penalty. He finished outside the points in 11th.
Sergio Perez retired after his front-right suspension snapped under braking on entry to the pit lane. Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon also failed to finish, while Arvid Lindblad did not start.
Canadian Grand Prix 2026 – Race results
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) — Winner
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +10.768s
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +11.276s
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +44.151s
5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1 lap
6. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1 lap
7. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1 lap
8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +1 lap
10. Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1 lap
11. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +2 laps
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +2 laps
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +2 laps
14. Esteban Ocon (Haas) +2 laps
15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +3 laps
16. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) +4 laps
Retirements: Sergio Perez (Cadillac), Lando Norris (McLaren), George Russell (Mercedes), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Alex Albon (Williams)
DNS: Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
Antonelli leaves Canada with a firm championship cushion, Hamilton banking momentum for Ferrari, and Red Bull on the podium through Verstappen. Attention now turns to whether Mercedes can manage its intra-team tensions and how McLaren responds after a strategy call that backfired.
Source: gpfans.com