George Russell Clinches Victory at Canadian Grand Prix, Ends McLaren Podium Streak
George Russell captured his first Formula 1 win of the 2025 season with a commanding performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, holding off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a dramatic finish that ended under a yellow flag.
The win, Russell’s fourth career victory, marked a strong weekend for Mercedes as the British driver converted pole position into a triumphant finish at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The race concluded with a safety car following a late collision between McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Russell became the fourth different winner this season, joining Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris in the exclusive club of 2025 race victors. Verstappen, a four-time reigning world champion, finished second, while Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed his first F1 podium in third place.
The race took a dramatic turn on Lap 67 of 70 when Norris, attempting to pass Piastri in a heated intra-team battle, clipped his teammate and crashed into the wall. The incident prompted the deployment of the safety car, effectively freezing the running order until the finish.
Norris, whose car suffered significant front-end damage, took full responsibility for the crash.
Piastri, who had been running strongly in fourth, missed out on a potential podium despite a late pit stop for fresher tyres — an advantage nullified by the non-resumption of racing.
With the incident, Piastri’s streak of eight consecutive podiums came to an end, and McLaren failed to finish in the top three for the first time this season. Nonetheless, Piastri extended his lead over Norris in the drivers’ standings to 22 points after 10 of 24 scheduled races.
Elsewhere in the field, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth respectively, followed by Fernando Alonso in seventh for Aston Martin. Nico Hülkenberg added more valuable points for Sauber with an eighth-place finish.
Formula 1 now heads to Austria, where the next race is set for June 29.
With input from Al Jazeera
