George Russell wins from pole at Canadian Grand Prix
(Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images)
Great Britain's George Russell captured his first F1 victory of the year, leading from wire-to-wire at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday.
Russell earned the pole position with 'an incredible pole lap' on Saturday, fended off four-time world champion Max Verstappen at the start, and was not threatened the rest of the way.
Russell described his sixth career pole position as 'probably the most exhilarating lap I've ever done in my life because around this circuit you've got to be so committed.'
McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided four laps from the finish, knocking the former out of the race. Piastri managed to hold onto fourth place and extended his lead in the championship (198 points) over Norris to 22 points.
The collision has prompted an investigation by race stewards.
Verstappen, who finished second, is in third position overall (155), while Russell is fourth (136).
Fourteen of 24 races remain on the 2025 circuit.
Russell's Mercedes teammate, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, finished third, becoming the third-youngest driver to earn a podium spot.
'It was so stressful but (I'm) super happy,' Antonelli said. 'I had a good start, managed to jump into P3 and just stayed up there at the front.'
Russell earned his fourth career victory and his first since capturing the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2024.
'I want to thank the team and the factory for their efforts,' said Russell. 'Let's see what happens in the upcoming races but I'm just going to enjoy this one for now!'
The drivers head to Austria for the MSC Cruises Austrian Grand Prix June 27-29.
--Field Level Media
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Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Teams were also able to enter the site via the previously inaccessible Victoria Bridge, avoiding the traffic that disrupted 2024 and previous years. Paradis hopes this year's race will serve as a springboard to making the Canadian GP one of the most beloved stops on the F1 calendar. 'If you ask me, why do you wake up every day in the morning? It's to try to make the race really amazing,' he said. 'Each time, I will improve the fan experience, the personnel experience.' The Canadian Grand Prix is under contract with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) until 2031. Paradis denied a rumour suggesting the FIA could terminate the deal as early as 2029. As for a contact extension, he noted many tracks only have one- or two-year deals. 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