Russell fends off Max’s challenge to take victory at the Canadian GP; Antonelli claims third-youngest podium finish in Formula 1 history.

George Russell achieved a pole-to-flag victory in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, while his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli secured third place, making him the third-youngest podium finisher in Formula One at just 18 years, 9 months, and 22 days.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen took second, while Lando Norris faced a DNF after colliding with McLaren championship leader and teammate Oscar Piastri during the final stretch of the race.

Russell clinched pole position with a flawless qualifying session on Saturday, completing Q3 in 1:10.899, compared to Verstappen’s 1:11.059. With both drivers starting from the front row, excitement was high for the opening turn, especially after their earlier clash in Barcelona.

Russell. Verstappen. Antonelli ????

After all that late-race drama, here’s your top ???? in Canada ????#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/iz9qVuIdBC

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 15, 2025

Nevertheless, Russell’s start was quite safe, with a reaction time of 0.24 seconds, slightly quicker than Verstappen’s 0.30 seconds. This allowed him to retain his lead, preventing the Dutchman from executing an overtaking maneuver similar to the one he had performed on Oscar Piastri in Imola.

Antonelli, who started from fourth on the grid, smoothly maneuvered past Piastri to seize third place early on. This initial advantage proved crucial, enabling the teenager to achieve his first podium finish despite losing track position multiple times during pit stops.

Piastri finished the race in fourth, earning 12 points; however, it was his incident with Lando Norris that made headlines. Norris was trailing Piastri by 10 points in the drivers’ championship at the race’s outset.

As Piastri struggled with his hard tires, Norris aggressively pursued an opportunity to overtake and secure a finish just behind Antonelli—or even challenge him for a podium spot. However, Piastri stood his ground.

They battled wheel-to-wheel on several occasions, but ultimately Norris attempted to advance by exploiting an opening that simply wasn’t there. The front-left of his car collided with the rear of Piastri’s, leading to Norris’s exit from the race. Now, he trails Piastri by 22 points on the leaderboard, while Verstappen has reduced the gap to 21 for second place.

Norris acknowledged on team radio that the mistake was entirely his own, marking the first race of the season where neither McLaren driver reached the podium. Formula One will return later this month on June 29, with Austria set to host the 11th race of the season.