Montreal race report: Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton end fifth and sixth in Canada

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George Russell claims Canadian Grand Prix victory as McLaren drama steals highlight

George Russell delivered a composed and assured drive to win the 2025 System 1 Canadian Grand Prix, however his triumph was considerably overshadowed by a dramatic late-race collision between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The intra-team conflict resulted in Norris crashing out simply three laps earlier than the chequered flag, drawing consideration away from what was an outstanding efficiency by the Mercedes driver.

The race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve started with a robust begin from Russell, who managed to fend off Max Verstappen into Flip 1 and take command of the race. Verstappen slotted into second however was underneath quick risk from Piastri, solely to lose out to the fast-starting Kimi Antonelli as they approached Flip 3. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Norris jostled for place, with Charles Leclerc, Nico Hulkenberg, and Franco Colapinto rounding out the early high ten.

Chaos briefly unfolded mid-pack when Alex Albon skated by way of the grass on the Flip 8 chicane, rejoining unsafely and shedding three positions. As the sector settled, Verstappen started urgent Russell for the lead, staying inside DRS vary whereas Antonelli held off Piastri in a battle for third. The early laps noticed drivers cautiously handle overheating tyres, with observe temperatures hovering above 50°C.

By Lap 6, Verstappen’s preliminary strain had eased as he slipped out of DRS vary, and the leaders started spreading out. Within the midfield, Isack Hadjar was glued to Colapinto’s rear wing, heading a DRS practice again to Sixteenth-placed Carlos Sainz. Alonso, in the meantime, struggled for tempo and was handed by Norris on Lap 11 on the Flip 10 hairpin.

Verstappen, complaining of extreme degradation on his medium tyres, pitted on Lap 12. Mercedes instantly responded to cowl the undercut, bringing Russell in on Lap 13. Antonelli stopped a lap later, however the barely slower in-lap value him observe place to Verstappen.

Norris, who had began on arduous tyres, overtook Hamilton on Lap 15 and was quickly main the race as different front-runners cycled by way of pit stops. Piastri pitted on Lap 16, selling Norris to provisional race chief, whereas Leclerc ran second on the same lengthy stint technique.

Russell, now third on observe and the highest-placed driver to have pitted, started regaining floor. Hamilton’s personal race took successful when he rejoined from the pits behind visitors, costing him near 10 seconds earlier than clearing the queue on Lap 20.

Leclerc stopped on Lap 27 for an additional set of hards, leaving him annoyed by the tyre selection, whereas McLaren known as Norris in for mediums to try a daring one-stop technique. With greater than 40 laps to go, it was a big gamble that might go both approach.

The technique initially paid off as Norris reeled in Piastri, who was now working on arduous tyres. Nevertheless, each Ferraris struggled for tempo—Charles Leclerc sixth, Lewis Hamilton seventh—after the Brit had suffered a lack of 20 factors of downforce on account of a collision with a groundhog on Lap 13.

Max Verstappen made his second cease on Lap 37 to fend off a charging Antonelli and rejoined in clear air forward of the Ferrari SF-25 vehicles. Mercedes reacted by bringing in Antonelli, however the Italian emerged simply behind Verstappen in a decent battle.

Russell was then introduced in for his second cease, rising nonetheless within the lead, 3.5s forward of Verstappen. Piastri inherited the lead briefly earlier than pitting on Lap 47, falling behind Antonelli as soon as once more.

Additional again, Lance Stroll squeezed Pierre Gasly into the grass on the remaining chicane. Though Gasly continued with out main points, the stewards handed Stroll a 10-second penalty for forcing one other driver off observe.

Norris made his remaining cease on the finish of Lap 47, rejoining in sixth, whereas Albon retired shortly after on account of energy unit points, turning into the race’s first retirement. Logan Sargeant adopted later because the second driver to exit the race on account of mechanical bother.

Leclerc pitted once more on Lap 53, clearing the way in which for a four-car scrap involving Antonelli, Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen. With 15 laps to go, Russell led Verstappen by simply over two seconds, whereas Antonelli, Piastri, and Norris had been coated by the same margin within the battle for third.

Piastri’s tyres had been seven laps brisker than Antonelli’s, and he step by step closed in. However Norris, on a cost, had joined the battle. The McLaren pair started combating one another arduous, with Norris initially passing Piastri at Flip 10 however working large and failing to carry the place.

On Lap 67, catastrophe struck. As they raced down the entrance straight, Norris tried to squeeze by way of a narrowing hole to the left of Piastri, making contact along with his teammate’s left-rear tyre. The collision ripped off Norris’ entrance wing and despatched him into the pit wall, ending his race.

The incident introduced out the Security Automobile with simply three laps to go. McLaren pitted Piastri for recent tyres, however the race ended behind the Security Automobile, confirming Russell because the Canadian Grand Prix winner. Verstappen secured second place, whereas Kimi Antonelli celebrated his first profession System 1 podium with third.

Piastri managed to complete fourth, adopted by Leclerc in fifth and Hamilton in sixth. Alonso, Hulkenberg, and Ocon rounded out the points-scoring positions after a turbulent and eventful race in Montreal.