George Russell claimed victory in a dramatic Canadian GP that ended under the Safety Car, following a fiery late-race collision between McLaren teammates.
The Mercedes driver led a strong race from pole, managing pressure from Max Verstappen and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while chaos unfolded behind.
Strategic gambles, intense midfield battles, and a controversial clash between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris made for a gripping contest with major championship implications.
Preparing for lights out
George Russell stunned the paddock with a sensational pole position for the 2025 Canadian GP, delivering a blistering 1:10.899 lap on medium tyres to edge out Max Verstappen and secure his first pole of the season.
McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri continued his impressive form with P3, ahead of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and F1 veterans Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
The dramatic Qualifying capped off a weekend filled with incident-packed practice sessions, strategic gambles, and surprise upsets—including Charles Leclerc’s Q3 lock-up and Yuki Tsunoda’s back-row penalty for a red flag infringement.
With a tightly matched grid and unpredictable conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Sunday’s race promised high stakes and even higher drama.
Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson were set to start the race from the Pit Lane for changing car components under parc fermé.
Lights out
At lights out at the Canadian GP, George Russell made an excellent launch to maintain the lead, while Max Verstappen also got away cleanly. Oscar Piastri’s start was less convincing, allowing Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli to pounce. Holding the inside line, Antonelli swept past the McLaren into Turn 3 to take third place.
Further back, Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto clashed in a spirited scrap, with Albon briefly bouncing across the grass at the Turn 9-10 chicane. That allowed Nico Hülkenberg to climb to ninth, capitalising on Albon’s off-track excursion and catching Colapinto napping. Isack Hadjar held 11th, while Albon slipped to 12th.
Yuki Tsunoda also made early progress, overtaking Lance Stroll for 17th.
By Lap 3, Verstappen had closed to within a second of race leader Russell and gained access to DRS. Meanwhile, Antonelli began to lose touch with the front two, which brought pressure onto Piastri from behind. Lewis Hamilton loomed large in the McLaren’s mirrors as a DRS train began to form among the top ten, setting the stage for a strategic battle.
Getting into rhythm
By Lap 5, Piastri appeared to be managing his tyres for a long first stint, sitting 1.5 seconds behind Antonelli and keeping himself in play for later in the race. Norris, running seventh on the hard compound, began to find pace as his tyres came into the window.
Hülkenberg, still holding ninth, looked solid in the upgraded Kick Sauber; perhaps not repeating his Spanish heroics, but certainly in the mix for points.
By Lap 8, Verstappen had dropped out of DRS range to Russell, his tyres beginning to fade. With the pit window still a way off, Red Bull faced a decision on whether to risk an early undercut.
Just a few laps later, Verstappen reported fragile tyres as Antonelli closed the gap, potentially setting up a DRS move. Mercedes looked to be applying pressure from both sides. Meanwhile, Norris made good use of his hard tyres, passing Alonso for sixth with little resistance.
Pit Stops start
Verstappen was the first of the frontrunners to pit on Lap 13, switching to hard tyres and rejoining in ninth with clear air—indicating a likely two-stop strategy. Russell responded immediately, covering off the undercut by pitting for hards and emerging ahead of Hülkenberg, handing the lead briefly to Antonelli.
A minor delay for Hamilton as Norris dived into the pits saw him lose time, while Piastri and Norris assumed the top two positions. McLaren looked firmly in the mix.
Piastri soon boxed for hards with a swift 2.1s stop, rejoining just behind Antonelli. As strategies diverged, Norris and Leclerc—both on hard tyres—remained a threat.
By Lap 18, Antonelli pulled off a clean move on Hülkenberg, while a replay showed Sainz narrowly avoiding contact with Bearman and Bortoleto after a heavy lock-up. Norris led from Leclerc, with Russell, who already pitted, just six seconds off the lead.
And now… tyre management began
By Lap 21 of the Canadian GP, Norris led the race on hard tyres, 2.8 seconds clear of Leclerc, with both yet to stop. Russell ran third, ahead of Verstappen, while Hamilton struggled to make progress through traffic, later revealed to be due to damage affecting his downforce.
Leclerc, unhappy with Ferrari’s suggested strategy, opted for Plan C instead of Plan B. He eventually pitted on Lap 29 for hards, committing to a two-stop, and rejoined just ahead of Sainz.
Norris boxed a lap later for mediums, potentially setting up a one-stop. A clean 2.2s stop saw him emerge behind Piastri but ahead of Leclerc.
Russell regained the lead by Lap 30, with Verstappen keeping the pressure on just 2.2s behind. Antonelli lost ground during the pit cycle, dropping from Verstappen’s rear wing to five seconds adrift. Piastri sat a further 2.3s back, while Hamilton slipped to seventh after a costly pit phase.
Several drivers, including Ocon and Sainz, had yet to stop by Lap 33. Albon, running 20th, was on a one-stop strategy according to team principal James Vowles, but faced a tough afternoon ahead.
Halfway point
By Lap 21, Norris led the race on hard tyres, 2.8 seconds clear of Leclerc, with both yet to stop. Russell ran third, ahead of Verstappen, while Hamilton struggled to make progress through traffic—later revealed to be due to damage affecting his downforce.
Leclerc, unhappy with Ferrari’s suggested strategy, opted for Plan C instead of Plan B. He eventually pitted on Lap 29 for hards, committing to a two-stop, and rejoined just ahead of Sainz.
Norris boxed a lap later for mediums, potentially setting up a one-stop. A clean 2.2s stop saw him emerge behind Piastri but ahead of Leclerc.
Russell regained the lead by Lap 30, with Verstappen keeping the pressure on just 2.2s behind. Antonelli lost ground during the pit cycle, dropping from Verstappen’s rear wing to five seconds adrift. Piastri sat a further 2.3s back, while Hamilton slipped to seventh after a costly pit phase.
Several drivers, including Ocon and Sainz, had yet to stop by Lap 33. Albon, running 20th, was on a one-stop strategy according to team principal James Vowles, but faced a tough afternoon.
Papaya rules?
By Lap 38, Antonelli had closed the gap to Verstappen to just 1.4 seconds, having gained nearly four seconds on the Red Bull. With both on similarly aged hard tyres, Mercedes sensed an opportunity. Verstappen pitted for fresh hards, rejoining in clean air between the Ferraris, briefly handing Mercedes a 1-2.
Antonelli followed suit a lap later, rejoining just behind Verstappen and setting up a straight fight to the flag. Russell, meanwhile, extended his stint.
By Lap 47, Norris had pitted again, and Albon retired due to a lingering power unit issue, making it back-to-back DNFs for the Williams driver. Stroll received a 10-second penalty for squeezing Gasly, and Hülkenberg passed Tsunoda for P11.
Leclerc led on a one-stop strategy at the Canadian GP but would have to pit again. Russell trailed in P2, with Verstappen, Antonelli, and Piastri all within five seconds of the lead by Lap 58. Backmarkers added chaos, with Piastri hitting traffic at the worst moments.
Lawson was instructed to retire on Lap 56, becoming the second DNF after Albon. As the race entered its final stages, Russell briefly stretched his gap, while Antonelli defended from Piastri, allowing Verstappen some relief.
McLaren opted not to impose team orders. Piastri and Norris, both on hards, were left to race, with Norris having the tyre advantage. Piastri picked up DRS on Lap 64, eyeing Antonelli’s podium spot—but the McLaren battle risked giving the Mercedes rookie enough breathing space to secure a maiden top-three finish.
The consequences of Papaya rules… a Safety Car
By Lap 65, Verstappen looked settled in second place, aided by the battling McLarens behind. He trailed Russell by 2.5 seconds but had a 2.2s buffer over Antonelli, as Piastri continued to fend off Norris under DRS pressure.
A small slide for Piastri on Lap 66 allowed Norris a chance at the hairpin, but Piastri immediately reclaimed the place into Turn 13.
Then came disaster at the Canadian GP—on Lap 67, the pair collided while fighting for position, ending Norris’ race and triggering a Safety Car.
Piastri continued in fourth with visible rear damage, while Norris climbed out of his car as flames emerged from the rear. The incident ended what had looked to be a strong double-points finish for McLaren.
Several drivers pitted under Safety Car conditions in anticipation of a possible one-lap sprint, though it appeared unlikely. Piastri remained fourth but was out of podium contention. In a final twist, Verstappen moved ahead of Russell behind the Safety Car, claiming the Mercedes driver had braked aggressively, raising questions as the race neared its conclusion.
Chequered flag under SC
Russell took the chequered flag behind the Safety Car on Lap 70, securing the win as Norris’ car was still being recovered. Tension remained over the radio, with Verstappen unhappy about Russell’s braking before the restart—an incident that could attract post-race scrutiny from the stewards.
Final Results at the 2025 Canadian GP
- George Russell
- Max Verstappen
- Kimi Antonelli
- Oscar Piastri
- Charles Leclerc
- Lewis Hamilton
- Fernando Alonso
- Nci Hülkenberg
- Esteban Ocon
- Carlos Sainz
- Oliver Bearman
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Franco Colapinto
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Pierre Gasly
- Isack Hadjar
- Lance Stroll
DNF – Lando Norris | Liam Lawson | Alex Albon
