The Canadian Grand Prix saw the first podium result of 2025 that did not include any McLaren drivers. Instead, the race was a dream for Mercedes after their incredibly disappointing triple header just weeks earlier. George Russell stood at the top of the step for the first time this season, while Kimi Antonelli raced to his maiden podium, in third place. Between them was Max Verstappen, who managed to keep his starting position of P2. Below are the full race highlights, which includes the drama that F1 fans everywhere will be talking about.
- Drama at McLaren as Norris Crashes Out
- Lando Norris had been behind his teammate for the whole race, after starting P7 on the grid, as well as running a different tire strategy. However, with only around ten laps to go, Norris was all over Oscar’s gearbox. After catching the championship leader by surprise in Turn 10, Lando was able to go wheel to wheel with the second McLaren as they sped down the straight. However, due to Oscar having DRS as well caused by Antonelli close up ahead, Lando was unable to easily pass, and instead went for a gap that simply wasn’t there. This caused his McLaren to be sandwiched between Piastri and the wall, with his front wing and tire gaining significant damage, meaning Norris was out of the race. Reflecting on the situation later, he stated the incident was all his fault, and apologized to the team as well as Oscar Piastri. The DNF means that Lando now sits 22 points adrift of the championship leader.
- 3 DNFs
- Though Lando’s accident was the only crash we saw this Sunday, that didn’t stop cars having to retire due to other issues. Alex Albon was having a difficult race already before being told, shortly into the Grand Prix, that they were managing a PU issue similar to the one that caused him to retire the race earlier in Barcelona. The issue turned out to be bigger than the team initially thought, as Albon later ran off the road and coasted to a stop in a safe run-off area due to the issue with his Mercedes Power Unit. Liam Lawson also had to retire from the race, after his team told his to box to retire the car.
- Antonelli Overtaking Piastri at the Start
- Oscar Piastri was starting third on the grid, with Kimi Antonelli behind him. When the lights went out, Antonelli was able to get a good start and eventually make his way around the McLaren, while Piastri didn’t want to do anything to risky to hurt his championship lead. However, this move was what eventually secured Antonelli’s maiden Grand Prix podium. From there, Piastri couldn’t find a way around the Mercedes driver. Even when Oscar was on fresher tires, Kimi remained just out of reach. By the time the checkered flag was waved, Antonelli was still the one that would stand on the final step of the podium.
- The Incredible Hulk Continues his Points Run
- Last time out in Barcelona, Nico Hulkenberg had an incredible driver to finish in fifth place and score an amazing amount of points for himself and the team. This time around, his secured P11 in qualifying, and from there he managed to overtake three cars on track and through pit strategy to come out in eighth position. This means that Nico Hulkenberg now sits eleventh in the championship standing, with 20 points. Kick Sauber is still back in ninth for the Constructors, but is only 2 points adrift of Asotn Martin. Hulkenberg will definitely be hoping to carry this momentum into further races.
- Mercedes Back to Being Quick?
- The European triple header was not the best for the Silver Arrows, as Kimi Antonelli had two DNFs, and Russell failed to score in Monaco while his highest finish in the three races was fourth. However, it appeared that Canada, a track that seemed to fit their car better, was more to the Mercedes’ liking. After Russell stormed to the line in qualifying to earn an impressive pole, he had a good reaction time to maintain his lead ahead of Verstappen when the lights went out. It was evident that Mercedes were on the pace today, perhaps more so than McLaren, whose driver Oscar Piastri was struggling to overtake Antonelli, even though the championship leader was on fresher tires. We’ll see if the papaya team is back on top in Austria in a couple of weeks, or if Mercedes can keep up the quickness.
