F1: Russell dominates Canadian Sprint and beats Antonelli in Mercedes controversy By Jeronimo Santos
3 min read
 |
George Russell took victory in the Sprint race from Grand Prix from Canadá this Saturday at Circuito Gilles Villeneuve. The British driver from Mercedes started on pole position and maintained command until the end, but had a tense moment when Kimi Antonelli, his teammate, touched his car on the sixth lap. The incident sparked discussion on the radio and questions about the strategies of the Brackley team over the weekend.
Antonelli applied pressure from the start and finished third on the podium, behind teammate Russell and McLaren’s Lando Norris. McLaren placed two cars in the points zone and remains a strong contender for the constructors’ title this season.
Domínio by Mercedes and controversial touch
Mercedes reaffirmed its performance on the Canadian circuit. Russell took the lead and left no room for approaches until Antonelli touched on lap 6, which raised doubts about the team’s objectives during the race. Depois from contact, the Brit maintained emotional control and continued in first place until the checkered flag.
Antonelli pressed the entire time. The world’s leading driver faced difficulties after the collision, but managed to recover positions and secure third place on the podium. The premature collision over the weekend fueled speculation about Mercedes’s tactical planning for the remainder of the competition.
Norris on the second step and other highlights
Lando Norris crossed the finish line in second place, reinforcing McLaren’s potential. Oscar Piastri completed the points zone in fifth place. Charles Leclerc came fourth, while Lewis Hamilton secured sixth position from Ferrari.
Max Verstappen gained seven points in seventh place for Red Bull Racing. Arvid Lindblad scored eighth for Racing Bulls, Franco Colapinto scored for Alpine and Carlos Sainz rounded out the top 10 for Williams.
Gabriel Bortoleto only finished in 12th place with Audi, facing engine power problems since the start of the race. The Brazilian driver was unable to keep up with the pace of his direct competitors in the Circuito Gilles Villeneuve.
Classificação end of Sprint
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Próximos commitments on Montreal
The drivers return to the Circuito Gilles Villeneuve track this Saturday at 5pm on Brasília for qualifying training that defines the grid for the main race. The 70-lap race will be held on Sunday at 5pm, with each lap measuring 4,361 meters.
The circuit is historically challenging and sets records for drama. The famous Muro of Campeões has already eliminated favorites on several occasions. In 1999, Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill had their weekends ended there. Russell will have the chance to face the route again with experience from the contact experienced at Sprint.
Canadá’s Grande Prêmio broadcast will be shown live on Sportv, Globoplay and F1TV Pro on Sunday.
