Russell wins in Canada with controversial safety car finish

George Russell achieved his first victory of 2025 at the Canadian Grand Prix, converting pole position into a win ahead of Max Verstappen. Mercedes returned to victory after Las Vegas 2024.

The race ended under safety car due to the crash between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on lap 67. The McLarens were battling for third place when Norris hit his teammate from behind, eliminating both from the race.

Russell won with a 0.228-second advantage over Verstappen, while Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in his first appearance on the rostrum since his F1 debut.

Norris takes blame for accident with Piastri

The British driver attempted to pass Piastri on the main straight when he braked too late and hit the rear of the Australian's car. "It's entirely my fault," admitted Norris over the radio before retiring.

It's entirely my fault

Piastri continued and finished fourth after pitting during the safety car. The Australian maintains the championship lead with 10 races completed in 2025.

The incident triggered the final safety car that created tension between Russell and Verstappen. The world champion complained over the radio: "George was braking erratically."

Red Bull files double protest against Russell

Christian Horner confirmed that Red Bull submitted two formal protests against the Mercedes driver. The first for erratic driving behind the safety car, the second for exceeding the permitted 10 car lengths distance.

"George braked very hard, clearly looking at Max in the mirrors. The gap he left behind the safety car was at least three times the permitted distance," explained Horner.

The Red Bull boss cited the precedent of Sergio Pérez in Singapore 2022, where he received two penalties for similar infractions. "The regulations are very clear. This is nothing personal against George."

Antonelli achieves his first F1 podium

The Italian Mercedes driver stepped onto the podium for the first time in his Formula 1 career. Antonelli had passed Piastri at the start and defended third position throughout the race.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth for Ferrari, followed by Lewis Hamilton in sixth. Fernando Alonso scored points for Aston Martin in seventh, while Nico Hulkenberg took Kick Sauber to eighth place.

The remaining points went to Esteban Ocon (Haas) and Carlos Sainz (Williams). Yuki Tsunoda recovered 11 positions from the back of the grid to finish 12th.

Stewards to review case at 17:50

Both teams and drivers met with the stewards at 17:50 local time in Montreal. The decision could modify the final result of a race that Russell dominated from pole.

Russell's victory marks Mercedes' return to winning after eight months without a victory. The British driver had lost the win in Montreal 2024 due to strategy, but this time he made no mistakes.

The next race will be the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29 at the Red Bull Ring, where Verstappen will look to recover ground at his team's home circuit.