The Canadian Grand Prix delivered one of the most tumultuous and exciting weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and by the time the checkered flag dropped in Montreal, Kimi Antonelli had cemented his grip on the championship.
The Mercedes driver has overcome an intense intra-team battle, changing weather conditions, and relentless pressure to claim his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
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While Antonelli extended his lead at the top, the same race may have marked a turning point in teammate George Russell’s title fight – and not in a good way.
Russell arrived in Canada already 20 points behind Antonelli, although the Brit played down suggestions that pressure was mounting inside the Mercedes garage. At first, it looked like he might stop Antonelli’s momentum after securing the position for the Sprint and the Grand Prix itself.
But things quickly turned sour.
The sprint race featured a pole position between the two Mercedes drivers when Antonelli and Russell made contact while battling for the lead. Antonelli ran onto the grass and vented his frustration on the team radio before Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff intervened.
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Sunday’s main event then turns into a straight battle between the top mates. The pair exchanged multiple turns during a brutal early battle before Russell’s race ended on Lap 30 with a power unit failure that forced him to retire.
Antonelli capitalized in full, going on to another victory and extending his championship lead to 43 points.
If Mercedes had reason to celebrate, McLaren left Montreal wondering how quickly a promising weekend had gone downhill.
After showing strong pace in both Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint Race itself, McLaren gambled on medium tires at the start of Sunday’s race despite conditions improving quickly. The decision was quickly reversed.
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Lando Norris took the lead at Turn 1, but both McLarens were forced to pit quickly for slicks, dropping them deep into traffic. From there, things got worse.
Oscar Piastri later closed in and collided with Alex Albon at the hairpin, receiving a 10-second penalty when he forced the Williams driver out of the race. Norris then faced a reliability issue after his trip off the track before finally retiring with a suspected gearbox problem.
Piastri finished without points in 11th place, rounding off a bad Sunday for the team.
highlights what happened at the 2026 formula 1 canadian grand prix
Ferrari finally showed momentum.
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Lewis Hamilton delivered arguably his strongest weekend since joining the Scuderia, finishing second after passing Max Verstappen towards the end of the race. The seven-time world champion called it his “funnest day” so far with Ferrari.
Hamilton looked comfortable all weekend and secured another podium finish while Ferrari continued to close in on McLaren in the constructors’ standings.
On the other side of the Ferrari garage, Charles Leclerc endured another frustrating weekend despite returning to fourth place. The Monegasque driver described it as the “worst weekend” of his career after struggling badly with set-up and balance throughout the event.
highlights what happened at the 2026 formula 1 canadian grand prix
Red Bull also showed up in Canada with high hopes.
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Max Verstappen claimed his first podium of the 2026 season by finishing third after Russell’s retirement opened the door. While the reigning champion no longer has the pace to challenge Antonelli, Red Bull looked more competitive than at the start of the year.
Teammate Isack Hadjar added a solid fifth place, giving the team one of their best collective results of the season so far.
highlights what happened at the 2026 formula 1 canadian grand prix
Elsewhere in midfield, Franco Colapinto continued his breakout campaign with Alpine. After achieving the best result of his career in Miami, the Argentinian stormed to the top in Montreal with a sixth-place finish despite clipping the wall and injuring his front wing mid-race.
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Pierre Gasly added more points in eighth, helping Alpine to solidify its position over the Racing Bulls in the constructors’ standings.
But the big story leaving Montreal remains Antonelli.
At just 19 years old, the Italian has now won four consecutive Grand Prix titles, a fast-growing competition, and growing control of the Formula 1 title battle for 2026.
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