George Russell secured a hard-fought victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, delivering a composed performance on a challenging day, while attention shifted dramatically to a late-race collision involving the two McLaren drivers. The incident ended Lando Norris’s race just three laps from the finish after contact with his teammate Oscar Piastri, abruptly halting what had been a tense battle for position.

As Norris and Piastri fought for fourth place, Norris made contact with Piastri’s left-rear tire down the front straight, resulting in his front wing being knocked off and sending him sliding into the pit wall and out of the race entirely.

Championship Races Intensify Following McLaren Clash

The clash between McLaren teammates escalated tensions in the championship battle, with Norris gaining a better exit from the final corner before running into Piastri’s tire. The impact forced Norris into retirement and sparked heated competition at the front of the field. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli achieved his first career podium, capitalizing on a strong opening lap to finish third, with Piastri crossing the line just behind him in fourth.

At the race’s start, Russell got an excellent launch, holding off Max Verstappen and leading the pack through Turn 1. Verstappen settled into second but immediately faced pressure from Piastri, who eventually lost the spot to Antonelli before they entered Turn 3. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso followed closely behind, with Norris safely stationed in seventh ahead of Charles Leclerc, Nico Hulkenberg, and Franco Colapinto.

Early Race Struggles and Key Moments

Midway through the opening lap, Alex Albon spun through the grass at the Turn 8 chicane, temporarily disrupting the field and losing three positions as he rejoined. Verstappen remained in close pursuit of race leader Russell during the early stages, but despite being comfortably within DRS range, he struggled to prepare a meaningful attack. The intense heat, reaching around 50 degrees Celsius, caused teams to carefully manage their tyres and pace throughout the race.

After six laps, Verstappen dropped outside DRS range, falling back by 1.3 seconds. Meanwhile, Alonso began losing ground to Hamilton and soon came under pressure from Norris, who overtook the Aston Martin driver at Turn 10 on Lap 11.

Strategies and Pit Stops Shake Up the Race Order

Verstappen was among the first front-runners to pit, opting to switch from fragile medium tyres to a different compound after 12 laps. This allowed Mercedes to respond by pitting Russell, although he rejoined in seventh place behind Hulkenberg and Verstappen, requiring careful navigation through traffic. Antonelli also pitted early, restarting in ninth place behind Verstappen.

Norris, one of only two drivers starting on hard tyres alongside Leclerc, seized the race lead as Piastri made a stop on Lap 16. While the Australian was briefly promising for McLaren’s championship hopes, the race dynamics quickly shifted, with Leclerc and Norris employing alternate strategies—Ferrari choosing hard tyres for Leclerc and McLaren fitting medium tyres on Norris to potentially run a one-stop race.

Hamilton encountered difficulties after his first stop, becoming stuck behind slower cars and losing around ten seconds before clearing traffic on Lap 20. Meanwhile, Leclerc expressed confusion over Ferrari’s choice of tyre compound during his pit stops.

Mid-race Battles Define the Podium Contenders

As the race progressed, Antonelli’s presence in third posed a challenge to front-runners, prompting Verstappen to make a second pit stop to clear traffic and regain momentum. Antonelli pitted soon after but was unable to pass Verstappen on track, maintaining the Dutchman’s position after a close battle through Turn 2.

Russell, meanwhile, was brought in for his second stop while leading, experiencing a slower service but retaining track position thanks to his substantial advantage. Piastri then took the race lead temporarily before pitting on Lap 47, emerging just behind Russell with fresher hard tyres.

Traffic incidents added to the day’s drama, with Lance Stroll defending aggressively into the final chicane and squeezing Pierre Gasly off the track. Although Gasly avoided serious trouble, race officials chose to review the incident, ultimately penalizing Stroll with a 10-second time penalty.

Closing Laps Intensify Rivalries and Trigger Controversy

The closing stages saw Norris make his second pit stop, returning to the track in sixth place but effectively fifth after Leclerc led without having stopped. Meanwhile, Albon retired on Lap 48 due to persistent power unit troubles and strategy setbacks, becoming the first retirement of the race.

With Leclerc’s second stop after Lap 53, Piastri battled Antonelli for the third spot, both running on hard tyres, though Piastri’s were fresher by seven laps. Russell extended his lead over Verstappen to 2.1 seconds with 15 laps remaining, while Norris closed the gap to the group battling for third.

Lawson became the second retirement due to Honda power unit concerns. As the leaders navigated traffic, Verstappen steadily closed on Russell, while Piastri lost ground to Antonelli. This allowed Norris to rejoin the fight for a podium position, transforming the contest into a three-way scrimmage alongside Antonelli and Piastri.

Final Showdown Between McLaren Teammates Ends in Collision

Against the backdrop of the podium fight, Norris and Piastri engaged in an intense intra-team battle. Without DRS, Piastri struggled to maintain pace compared to Norris, who capitalized on his superior car speed to challenge fiercely. Antonelli’s presence ahead helped Piastri defend effectively but also closed the gap between the McLaren drivers.

On Lap 64, Piastri closed to within one second of Antonelli but soon after, Norris made a decisive move at Turn 10 to claim fourth. Running wide on the exit, Norris allowed Piastri to side-by-side alongside him. In the slipstream drag race down the front straight, the pair made contact when Norris’s front wing clipped Piastri’s rear wheel. This contact damaged Norris’s front wing and forced him into the pit wall, ending his race instantly. Piastri was able to continue, seemingly undamaged.

Norris promptly accepted responsibility for the collision, acknowledging the impact on both drivers’ outcomes.

Race Concludes Under Safety Car, Securing Russell’s Win

The Safety Car was deployed following the incident, with McLaren calling Piastri in for fresh tyres. However, with only three laps remaining, the race closed behind the neutralized field, denying any further overtaking opportunities.

The victory went to George Russell, who maintained his lead through the chaotic finish. Max Verstappen completed a solid second-place finish, while Kimi Antonelli celebrated his maiden Formula 1 podium in third. Piastri managed to hold fourth place ahead of Leclerc, Hamilton, Alonso, Hulkenberg, and Ocon.

This win for Russell injects new momentum into the championship race, though the collision between McLaren teammates leaves questions about intra-team dynamics as the season moves forward.