Kimi Antonelli wins Canadian Grand Prix on disastrous day for F1 rivals George Russell, Lando Norris
© Imago / DeFodi Images
Kimi Antonelli has extended his lead in the Formula 1 Championship with victory in Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.
In a thoroughly-entertaining race in Montreal, the 19-year-old was involved in a back-and-forth battle with Mercedes teammate George Russell.
That was until Russell’s car suffered a power unit issue that forced his withdrawal, gifting the Italian space to dominate the remainder of the Grand Prix.
As well as the fight between Antonelli and Russell that would have led to some anxious faces in the pit lane, Lewis Hamilton was rewarded for his patience during the closing stages as he passed Max Verstappen for second spot.
However, finishing 10.768 seconds behind Antonelli, the seven-time world champion never threatened his first Grand Prix victory in Ferrari colours.
Russell was not the only Briton to endure a disastrous Canadian Grand Prix as Lando Norris was also forced to retire his McLaren.
Norris’s race began on a negative note when it quickly became apparent that he and teammate Oscar Piastri were on the wrong tyres, subsequently leading to a third-lap pit-stop when he had advanced from third to pole come the first corner.
A long stint on medium tyres had been the plan, only for Norris to be forced back into the pits due to a reliability issue and his retirement came shortly after that.
Piastri, meanwhile, finished 11th and two laps behind Antonelli having also had to serve a 10-second penalty.
How does the Formula 1 Championship look?
Antonelli now holds a commanding 43-point lead over Russell, who is now in danger of being pegged back by the Ferraris.
Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth on Sunday, is 13 points behind Russell, with Hamilton a further three points adrift.
Norris is as many as 73 points behind Antonelli, while Verstappen is a mammoth 88 points adrift despite his first Grand Prix podium of the season.
Written by
Darren Plant