George Russell converted his pole position on Saturday into a sensational victory in Sunday’s race at the Canadian Grand Prix. He and Antonelli, also from Mercedes, have shown that they can once again be in contention for victories in several Grand Prix races this year.
Russell is no longer invisible and is getting even stronger in Canada
In between, Verstappen did what he could with no McLaren in sight. Only Piastri finished; Norris retired after an incident with his teammate just a few laps from the end. Alonso, in seventh, did his best in a race that, this time, went perfectly for a resurgent Aston Martin. Carlos Sainz added a point by finishing 10th.
George Russell didn’t get nervous against Max Verstappen at the start and took enough of a lead that the Dutchman didn’t even attack him throughout the race. A lesson for Lando Norris, who has lost a few of these to the four-time champion, although he can be credited with providing the most entertaining action of the race.
His accident with his teammate three laps from the end cost him the battle with Oscar Piastri. With fourth place, the two points that the championship leader extended his lead over Norris were the least of his worries.
The accident at McLaren leaves Norris shaken
After sending Norris into the wall, and with Piastri currently under investigation for the move, the safety car came out and led the cars to the finish line, preventing any further position changes. But watch out, because Verstappen overtook Russell during the safety car for a few moments, claiming that the Mercedes driver had braked aggressively, and although he quickly fell behind, there could also be an investigation.
The most significant thing is that it opened the door wide for the fight for the title to the driver he fears most. A creditable second place for Verstappen with Red Bull and a special mention for Fernando Alonso.
Given the high degradation, the leading drivers made two stops and did not take a chance with a single pit stop. Charles Leclerc tried something different, unlike the rest, tackling the final stint on medium tires, while his rivals were on hard tires. Charles passed Hamilton to move into sixth place and go after the McLarens of Norris and Piastri, who were just ahead… but the pace wasn’t enough.
Alonso picks up six golden points as Aston Martin continues its recovery
Norris and Pisatri starred in one of the images of the World Championship when, on lap 67, Norris ended up in the wall while trying to overtake his teammate. Both McLarens were involved in a battle for fourth place that ended in a safety car when Norris tried to overtake the World Championship leader, colliding with the rear of his teammate’s car and leaving his own car unusable. After the accident, Norris accepted responsibility for his mistake and quickly apologized to his teammate for the reckless maneuver.
Thus, the first and second in the World Championship standings were involved in a momentous scene for the World Championship and for the McLaren team. Oscar Piastri, the World Championship leader, extends his lead over his teammate, who was out of the race with just three laps to go.
Fernando Alonso managed to finish seventh, the best of the rest, scoring points again, and although he held off Lando Norris at the start, he was then unable to do anything against the McLaren driver and Charles Leclerc, who had started on hard tires. The Monegasque finished fifth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in sixth.
The fact is that Verstappen, with the safety car off, accidentally overtook Russell, which is prohibited and could result in a penalty. If so, Piastri would move up to the podium. Montreal saw an entertaining and exciting race in which the two Spaniards gave a masterclass in driving, while McLaren gave another lesson in what not to do.