Canadian GP: George Russell wins as Lando Norris crash sees late drama

In Montreal, George Russell secured victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, a race that saw late drama unfold with a collision between Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

The race was anticipated as a battle between Russell and Max Verstappen, but this direct contest didn`t fully materialize. Post-race, Red Bull`s protest against Russell`s victory concerning conduct under the safety car was dismissed by the stewards.

The most significant moment involved the two McLaren drivers. The incident on Lap 66, where Norris crashed into the rear of Piastri`s car while they were competing for fourth place, was reviewed by stewards, resulting in a five-second penalty for Norris.

Norris attempted to overtake Piastri on the main straight. However, as the track curved right, he drifted wide, making contact with the Australian`s car and hitting the wall. This collision forced Norris to retire, while Piastri was able to continue and extend his championship advantage to 22 points.

While the crash garnered significant attention, Norris immediately accepted full responsibility, stating clearly that it was his error. On the team radio, Norris immediately took the blame, saying, “Sorry… All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me.”

Consequently, the race concluded behind the safety car. The safety car period benefited Russell`s teenage teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who achieved his first-ever Formula 1 podium, becoming the third-youngest driver to do so.

Antonelli described the race as “so stressful but super happy,” highlighting his strong start that allowed him to move into third place and stay near the front.

Russell expressed his joy at returning to the top step of the podium, calling it “amazing.” He reflected on his previous win in Vegas and felt that a potential victory was lost last year. He credited his pole position lap for setting up this win and was delighted to see Kimi also on the podium.

Despite the collision, Piastri sustained only minor damage and finished in fourth place, followed by Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc in fifth and Lewis Hamilton in sixth.

Lewis Hamilton, who compared his car`s handling to dancing with someone lacking rhythm, seemed puzzled by his lack of pace during the race. At one point, Hamilton remarked over the radio, “I`m nowhere in this race, mate.” Earlier, he had unfortunately hit a groundhog, an incident he called “devastated” about, which also caused damage to his car`s floor.

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin continued his improved form with a seventh-place finish, just ahead of Sauber`s in-form Nico Hulkenberg.

Rounding out the points scorers were Esteban Ocon in ninth for Haas and Carlos Sainz securing the final point for Williams.