Kimi Antonelli secures formula one Canadian Grand Prix. Photo : Courtesy.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured victory at the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday night after team mate George Russell retired from the race following a power unit failure during an intense battle for the lead at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada.
The victory marked Antonelli’s fourth consecutive Formula One win making him the first driver in Formula One history to win his first four races consecutively. The result also extended the Italian driver’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings to 43 points ahead of Russell.
The Canadian Grand Prix was dominated by a fierce contest between the two Mercedes drivers who exchanged positions several times during the opening stages of the race in what analysts described as one of the most exciting lead battles in recent Formula One history.
Russell, who had started the race from pole position after winning qualifying on Saturday, initially led the race before Antonelli challenged him aggressively in the early laps as both drivers fought wheel to wheel around the wet and slippery Montreal circuit.
During the intense duel, the two Mercedes cars nearly collided on several occasions with Antonelli at one point coming close to hitting the back of Russell’s car while another incident saw the pair make slight contact at the final chicane. However both drivers avoided serious damage and continued racing.
The dramatic battle eventually came to an end on lap 30 after Russell suffered a sudden power unit failure forcing him to retire from the race while leading. The incident triggered a Virtual Safety Car allowing Antonelli to maintain control at the front of the race.
Antonelli later crossed the finish line 10.7 seconds ahead of Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton who finished second in his best result since joining Ferrari. Max Verstappen of Red Bull completed the podium in third place securing his first podium finish of the season.
Speaking after the race, Antonelli admitted that although he was happy with the victory, he would have preferred to win after a full battle with Russell until the end of the race.
“It’s not really the way I wanted to win,” said Antonelli while describing the fight with his team mate as tough and competitive.
Russell meanwhile expressed frustration after his retirement saying the mechanical problem had cost him a major opportunity in the championship race.
“It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight for this championship,” Russell said after the race.
Formula One analysts have described the growing rivalry between Antonelli and Russell as one of the biggest storylines of the 2026 Formula One season with many comparing the tension at Mercedes to previous rivalries involving Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
