RACE REPORT | F1 Canada 2026

Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed a superb victory for Mercedes in a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, while Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari after a thrilling late fight with Max Verstappen, who completed the podium for Red Bull.

The start of the race was delayed after Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls car became stuck on the grid, forcing two extra formation laps and reducing the race distance to 68 laps. Mixed weather conditions also created uncertainty before the start, with both McLaren drivers gambling on intermediate tyres while many rivals chose slicks.

That decision quickly proved costly. Lando Norris made a brilliant launch to briefly take the lead, but early pit stops for dry tyres dropped both McLarens down the order. Norris later struggled badly with tyre warm-up and eventually retired with reliability and gearbox problems, while Oscar Piastri received a 10-second penalty after colliding with Alex Albon, which forced the Williams driver out of the race.

At the front, the race became a tense battle between the two Mercedes drivers. Antonelli and George Russell repeatedly traded the lead in several exciting wheel-to-wheel fights, with the young Italian defending aggressively against his more experienced team-mate. Their duel featured lock-ups, near-contact and controversial moments, including Antonelli briefly being ordered to give a position back after cutting the final chicane.

The fight finally ended on Lap 30 when Russell suddenly stopped with a power unit failure, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car and handing Antonelli full control of the race.

Behind him, Verstappen moved into second place after passing Hamilton earlier in the race, but the Ferrari driver stayed close throughout the final stint. As Verstappen began struggling with cooling tyres late on, Hamilton closed rapidly and finally completed a brilliant overtake around the outside on Lap 62 to reclaim second place.

Antonelli stayed calm in the closing laps and secured an impressive victory for Mercedes, one of the biggest wins of his young Formula 1 career.

Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari after passing Isack Hadjar, who still secured an impressive fifth place despite late penalties. Franco Colapinto scored strong points for Alpine in sixth ahead of Liam Lawson in seventh, while Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman completed the top 10.

The race also saw retirements for Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez, adding to a chaotic and action-packed afternoon in Montreal.

2026 Canadian Grand Prix: race results

1st – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
2nd – Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +10.768
3rd – Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +11.276
4th – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +44.151
5th – Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1 lap
6th – Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1 lap
7th – Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1 lap
8th – Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +1 lap
9th – Carlos Sainz (Williams) +1 lap
10th – Oliver Bearman (Haas) +1 lap
11th – Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +2 laps
12th – Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) +2 laps
13th – Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) +2 laps
14th – Esteban Ocon (Haas) +2 laps
15th – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +4 laps
16th – Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) +4 laps

DNF – Sergio Perez (Cadillac)
DNF – Lando Norris (McLaren)
DNF – George Russell (Mercedes)
DNF – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
DNF – Alexander Albon (Williams)
DNF – Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)