Canadian Grand Prix: George Russell wins from pole as Piastri and Norris collide
George Russell secured Mercedes' first win of the 2025 Formula One season with a composed drive from pole position at a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix, while McLaren's championship battle took a chaotic turn as teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided in the closing laps.Russell, who had also started on pole in Montreal last year before finishing third, made no mistake this time, leading confidently from the start and navigating multiple strategy shifts and a late-race safety car to take the chequered flag. The win marks his second career victory, his last having come in Las Vegas in November 2024.advertisement"It's amazing to be back on the top step," said Russell after the race. "I felt last year was a victory lost, and today we made up for it. That pole lap yesterday really set it all up."
The race, which started under overcast skies at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, was full of strategic variation. Some drivers opted for two-stop strategies, while others, like Norris, gambled on longer initial stints using the hard compound tyres. This mix created a tense finale with the top five cars all within striking distance as the laps wound down.Russell held the lead from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who had been aiming for a fourth consecutive win at the venue but had to settle for second after a late safety car scuppered any chance of a final attack.advertisementBehind them, all eyes were on McLaren. Oscar Piastri, in pursuit of third place, was being chased by teammate Norris in the final laps. With just three laps to go, the two came to blows - literally - as Norris clipped the rear of Piastri's car while attempting an ambitious overtake. The impact sent Norris off track and out of the race, prompting an immediate apology over team radio."I'm sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me," said a remorseful Norris, who was later handed a five-second time penalty by the stewards - irrelevant given his DNF.Piastri emerged unscathed in terms of damage but lost track position and the chance to challenge for the podium. He pitted under the safety car, rejoining in fourth behind Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who held station to claim a sensational first career podium. At 18, the Italian becomes the youngest podium finisher since Max Verstappen's breakthrough in 2016 and the first Italian to stand on the rostrum since 2009."Honestly, I was just hoping the race would end!" said a beaming Antonelli. "It was a crazy final few laps and I'm still trying to take it all in."The late-race collision capped a weekend of growing tension within McLaren. Piastri now sits atop the drivers' standings with 198 points, extending his lead over Norris (176). Verstappen trails in third with 155, while Russell's win lifts him to fourth on 136.advertisementIn the constructors' championship, McLaren maintain their lead, but Mercedes have now climbed to second, leapfrogging Ferrari and sitting 175 points adrift of the Woking squad.Elsewhere, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came home fifth, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who endured a challenging race after an early collision with a groundhog caused minor front wing damage. Fernando Alonso took seventh for Aston Martin, with Nico Hlkenberg eighth for Sauber after a strong showing. Esteban Ocon brought Haas points in their 200th Grand Prix by finishing ninth, while Carlos Sainz took the final point in tenth for Williams.Post-race, Red Bull lodged a protest relating to Russell's track limits on lap 42, but stewards dismissed the appeal over five hours after the race conclusion.
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