Canadian Grand Prix: There was no antidote for Russell

The Mercedes driver maintained focus and controlled racing to achieve an easy victory, while Lando Norris had a serious mishap at McLaren.

George Russell sensationally got off the line, and similarly, Kimi Antonelli in the other Mercedes immediately gained a position and was already racing in one of the podium spots. Meanwhile, Russell, despite leading for four laps, couldn't shake off Max Verstappen, who gradually closed the gap until his pace ran out.

As dynamic and combative as the first laps were, all activity fell off significantly until the first pit stops, and the later stages of the race were not particularly sparkling or exciting either. Once everyone completed their mandatory stops, the field roughly reorganized back to where it had been earlier. Russell led, followed by the McLarens trying different tactics, then Charles Leclerc setting a great pace, and finally the duo of Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli, who had both visited the pit lane twice, battled each other. It was clear that the fate of the victory would definitely be decided between Russell and Verstappen, while there were several contenders for third place.

Well, this number quickly reduced after one of the main contenders, Scuderia Ferrari, couldn't rise to the task in terms of tire management, and during the McLaren internal battle, Lando Norris knocked himself out of further competition. The latter incident brought about a safety car phase, the first and only one during the race, but it didn't change the situation for McLaren, as on this day, Oscar Piastri was just a shadow of himself. Finally, in the race concluded behind the SC, George Russell achieved a smooth start-to-finish victory ahead of Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli, who celebrated his first 'real' podium.

Photo: The Race / Motorsport week