Kimi Antonelli triumphs in the Canadian Grand Prix for Mercedes

F1’s annual visit to Quebec is rarely free of drama or controversy, but by bringing the Montreal race forward in the year May put the race’s fate in the laps of Canada’s weather gods more than ever. But despite the cold conditions and the threat of rain which never really materialised, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve served up an absorbing spectacle with duels across the top six, and a costly retirement which may change the face of the 2026 title battle.

Loser – McLaren

The prospect of F1 2026’s first wet-weather race kept several teams up at night, but as drizzle persisted throughout race morning, the skies cleared up right at the start of the race. That caught out several teams, with McLaren the main offender as its advantageous starting position meant the choice for intermediate tyres on both cars was quite the gamble.

While capitalising on a grip advantage at the start to leap into the leader, third-starting Lando Norris soon had to put, as did Oscar Piastri, who already had misgivings about the team’s choice in the formation lap.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and the two extra formation laps didn’t help McLaren as they further negated any early advantage the team could have had. But then things went from bad to worse when Piastri clattered into Alex Albon and Norris disappeared from the race with a mechanical failure, ensuring McLaren would finish outside the points. A weekend to forget, although the team will have been somewhat encouraged by its performance relative to Mercedes.

Winner – Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli keeps prompting revisions to the history books after being the first-ever driver to open his win account with four consecutive grand prix wins. The 19-year-old continues to impress this year with his maturity, you don’t need us to tell you that. But what’s especially intriguing is to see that process take place in real-time …

Filip Cleeren
By Motorsport

Race result by Formula 1