Canadian GP: George Russell claims Mercedes’ first 2025 victory amid McLaren drama

George Russell clinched Mercedes` maiden win of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Canadian Grand Prix. The race saw significant late-race drama as McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided.

Russell successfully defended his position against Max Verstappen throughout the event, while his Mercedes colleague Kimi Antonelli secured his first-ever F1 podium finish in third place.

Russell`s victory wasn`t officially confirmed until nearly six hours after the checkered flag. A protest lodged by Red Bull, alleging erratic driving by Russell under the Safety Car following the McLaren incident, was ultimately rejected.

The most dramatic moment occurred during the battle for fourth place with just four laps remaining. Piastri and Norris made contact crossing the start line, resulting in Norris`s retirement from the race.

Norris later took responsibility, apologizing for his “stupid” attempt to overtake Piastri, expressing relief that he hadn`t ruined his teammate`s race. Following the event, Piastri now holds a 22-point lead over Norris in the championship standings, with Verstappen 43 points adrift.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth for Ferrari, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, whose race was compromised by damage sustained early on, costing him approximately half a second per lap for most of the 70 laps around Montreal.

Fernando Alonso secured his best result of the season for Aston Martin in seventh, followed by Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), Esteban Ocon (Haas), and Carlos Sainz (Williams) completing the top ten.

The Incident Between Piastri and Norris

Lando Norris, starting seventh after a disappointing qualifying session, opted for an alternative strategy, beginning on the hard compound tyres while the leaders used mediums. He briefly led the race during the pit stop phase but dropped back after his own stop. This left him with fresher tires for the final laps, allowing him to close the gap to his teammate.

Piastri, meanwhile, struggled with traffic in the closing laps as he tried to challenge Antonelli for third but lacked the necessary pace advantage. Norris rapidly closed in and attempted an overtake on the inside of Piastri at the Turn 10 hairpin on Lap 66. They went side-by-side down the back straight at over 200 mph.

Piastri had the inside line for the final tricky chicane but had a poor exit. Norris then attempted to find a gap on the inside approaching Turn 1 that wasn`t available, leading to high-speed contact between the two McLaren cars. Norris`s front wing broke instantly, forcing his retirement, while Piastri was able to continue and finish fourth.

Reflecting on the incident, Norris stated, “No one to blame but myself, so I apologize to the whole team and to Oscar as well for attempting something probably a bit too silly. Glad I didn`t ruin his race. In the end apologies to the team.”

Russell`s Commanding Performance

At the front, George Russell and Max Verstappen were expected to duel following their recent encounter in Spain. However, a slow start from Verstappen allowed Russell to comfortably maintain the lead on the opening lap. While Verstappen initially applied pressure, Russell gradually pulled away during the first stint.

Kimi Antonelli even appeared closer to challenging Verstappen before Red Bull opted for an early pit stop on Lap 12. Mercedes responded by pitting Russell to cover Verstappen`s strategy. This pattern repeated during the second round of stops, with Russell consistently possessing enough pace to fend off any serious threat from the reigning world champion.

“It`s amazing to be back on the top step,” said Russell. “The last time for us was back in Vegas. I felt last year was a victory lost and probably got the victory today due to the incredible pole lap yesterday. Obviously so happy to see Kimi on the podium as well. Amazing day for the team. Thanks to everyone back at the factory for working to get us back fighting for victories. It feels good.”

Further back, Charles Leclerc questioned Ferrari`s strategy after starting on hard tires, hoping for a one-stop race. He ultimately followed the same strategy as the leaders and finished fifth.

Lewis Hamilton had a difficult Sunday, finishing sixth. His race was marred by damage sustained on Lap 13 after hitting a groundhog, which reportedly cost him about half a second per lap and led to a lonely drive.

Home favourite Lance Stroll received the only penalty of the race for forcing Pierre Gasly off track at the final chicane. Alex Albon retired with an engine issue after expressing frustration with his team`s strategy while running in the top 10. Liam Lawson also retired from the race.

Canadian GP Result: Top 10

The next event on the 2025 Formula 1 calendar is the Austrian Grand Prix.