Montreal: George Russell secured Mercedes´ first win of the season in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday as McLaren´s championship-chasing drivers crashed in the final laps of an intriguing and hectic race.
The 27-year-old Briton beat close rival and four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.228 seconds under the safety car to claim his fourth career victory with his teenage Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli finishing third.
The 18-year-old Italian rookie became the third-youngest podium finisher in Formula One history, showing composure in resisting late intense late pressure from championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who survived a collision with team-mate Lando Norris, on his way to fourth.
That ensured he extended his lead in the drivers´ standings to 22 points ahead of Norris who crashed into him on lap 67 of the 70-lap race, breaking his front wing as he attempted to pass on the straight.
“Yep, I´m sorry,” said Norris of his crash with Piastri. “It´s all my bad, all my fault. Unlucky, sorry. Stupid from me.” Charles Leclerc finished fifth ahead of Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin and Sauber´s Nico Hulkenberg.
Esteban Ocon finished ninth for Haas, marking their 200th race with a solid points finish, ahead of Carlos Sainz for Williams. Russell was delighted to deliver his team´s first win since the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year.
“It´s amazing to be back on the top step. The last time was Vegas and last year here felt like it was a victory lost. But today we obviously got the victory thanks to that incredible pole lap and I am so happy to see Kimi on the podium as well.”
Verstappen was quick to congratulate both Mercedes drivers. “It was quite a good race although we were struggling on the tyres in the first two stints. We had an aggressive strategy and we managed to hang in there. And this was the maximum possible for us today.”
Antonelli was greeted enthusiastically by the big crowd at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with his name chanted as he took his podium place. “It was so stressful,” he said. “But I am super happy! I had a good start, managed to jump to P3, and just stayed up there in the front. I am so happy to bring this podium home.”
