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In light of what happened at the Spanish Grand Prix, it is fair to expect that the World Championship may now be within McLaren’s grasp. Making up 49 points to Oscar Piastri and 39 to Lando Norris - who both have the advantage of racing with an extremely fast car - is a tremendously difficult challenge for anyone, even someone named Max Verstappen. With the season now approaching its halfway point, a duel between Piastri and Norris seems to be taking shape, the two now separated by just ten points. Such a scenario hasn’t occurred at McLaren since 1989, the last year of the fierce rivalry between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna as teammates. That battle famously culminated in the Suzuka incident, but Lando Norris hopes things won't escalate to that level with Oscar Piastri.
"We are different people with different personalities, and we both know deep down that we want to beat each other. But we also want to enjoy it. Everyone’s seen many championships where the relationship between teammates soured and went in the wrong direction. That usually leads to a lot of problems, a domino effect of mistakes. That’s not what we want. We want to challenge each other and are free to race one another, but we also know that our only purpose is to race for McLaren. And that’s something we’re both very proud of. What makes having such a strong teammate positive is also what makes it negative: you can see everything the other does. You can learn a lot from each other. From the team’s side, it’s only a benefit because it pushes both of us to perform at a very high level".
Buoyed by Charles Leclerc’s podiums in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, Ferrari heads to Canada with more optimism than it had just a month ago. The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit shouldn’t favor the SF-25 on paper, but the same was said about Monaco, where the Scuderia nearly claimed pole. Leclerc has extracted 100% of the SF-25’s potential, and for this reason, the Monegasque driver is calling for new upgrades, though they are not expected until Silverstone. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur is hoping to again make the most of the tools at hand - perhaps not only with Leclerc, but also with a Lewis Hamilton who has struggled notably in the last two Grands Prix.
"We’ve worked as hard as possible back at the factory in Maranello to prepare for the Canadian Grand Prix, which takes place on a very different circuit from those we’ve raced on recently. We’re coming off a series of races in which we’ve made progress both in performance and execution, especially on Sundays. We want to keep going in this direction, maximizing our result in Montreal and bringing home the best possible haul of points".
Frederic Vasseur's position at Ferrari is reportedly under question by the board, and the next three races could be decisive for his future at Maranello. These reports quickly spread around the world and across social media, with fans debating these scenarios. However, there has been no official statement denying the reports, so Lewis Hamilton took it upon himself during a press conference in Montreal to dismiss these rumors as baseless.
"Vasseur's position questioned by some newspapers? I was just informed of it as I arrived here. I hadn’t read these articles, but it's not pleasant to know that these stories have come out. First of all, I love working with Fred, and he's the main reason why I’m at Ferrari and why I decided to come here. I'm grateful to him for that. We’re in this adventure together. I know things aren't perfect right now, but I’m here to work with the team and with Fred. I want Fred to be here, and I believe he’s the person who can take us to the top. That's all. In my opinion, these stories are nonsense and unfounded. Most people don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes. Not everything is simple, not everything runs perfectly. We've had to make a lot of changes, there’s a lot of work to do, and there’s definitely a lot of pressure. But as far as I know, there is no ongoing discussion about Fred’s position at the moment. The possible replacement of Vasseur? It's certainly not something I would support".
Finally, Hamilton expressed frustration over the constant rumors surrounding him:
"I’ll be here for a long time, and there’s no doubt about where my head is. I hope there are no more questions or doubts about that. I’m here to win in red".
In the final stages of the Spanish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg and showed a noticeably slow pace. Unsurprisingly, the British driver was not in the best of moods after the race, and this was particularly evident during the post-race interviews.
During the team debrief, it was later revealed that Hamilton's SF-25 had indeed suffered from an issue, as the British driver confirmed during the Canadian Grand Prix press conference.
"The team doesn’t want us to talk about it too much, but both cars had issues that severely hindered us from the middle of the race onwards. Not knowing about the problem, I said over the radio that the car was giving me the worst feeling I’ve ever had — and because of that issue, it really was. At the end of the race, I thought I had never felt so bad for so long during a Grand Prix. Only after the TV interviews did I return to the engineers and we discovered the problem together. Hearing that was a bit of a relief, and it allowed me not to feel quite so bad afterwards".
Rumors about Frederic Vasseur's future, coming from Italy, have now reached Canada. The response from the French manager was swift. Already during the press conference before the Grand Prix, Vasseur said:
"It’s not all Italian media, just a part of them. It’s not about me, because I can handle these things. It’s more about the people in the team. Exposing their names like this is, in my opinion, a lack of respect towards them and their families. Last year we had a similar situation with the head of aerodynamics. This season, other names have come up, and I don’t know what the goal is. I don’t understand it. Maybe it’s to throw mud at the team, but in this case, I don’t see the point. Maybe for them, it’s the only way to exist, and that’s probably the main reason. But they are really damaging the team because at some point, there’s a loss of focus. And when you’re fighting for the championship, every single detail matters. Since the beginning of the weekend, all we’ve heard is about this. If their goal is to put the team in this situation, they’ve succeeded. But I don’t think this is how you win a championship. At least not with this type of journalism around us. When I took the job, I knew it meant being exposed, and I think it’s easy enough to manage. It’s more about the people in the team: they are working hard, and reading that one or the other is going to be replaced is useless. These journalists - I’m not lumping them all together - need to realize that these people have families, wives, children, and this is completely disrespectful. Now, I don’t want to talk about this stupid thing anymore".
As if that wasn’t enough, the same Italian newspapers are now reporting that Charles Leclerc has lost faith in Scuderia Ferrari. The article specifies that, despite his constant declarations of love for the team during interviews, the Monegasque driver no longer has full trust in the project, to the point that he might consider looking around for other opportunities, without ruling out a move to another team. In this context, Toto Wolff's respect for Leclerc has been highlighted, evoking a possible switch to Mercedes, as well as the appeal of the lucrative Aston Martin project. Upon arriving in Montreal, the media asked Charles Leclerc to respond to these rumors:
"I’m very surprised. I mean, I have no idea where this is coming from. I would simply prefer to ignore it. I’ve never said anything like that in the last few races, and in fact, I continue to repeat how much I love the team and how much I want to bring Ferrari back to the top. So, I’m surprised. We have a vision that the three of us share, Fred, Lewis, and I, to try and get back to winning. That’s our plan, and I think we should stick to it. We’re already putting a lot of pressure on ourselves, a lot".
So he adds:
"Then, of course, there are these rumors, which are something you don’t want to hear. But it’s normal to feel pressure when you work for Ferrari, second place is never enough, and we’re all aware of that. The external pressure is not affecting us. We want to win, and we are focusing all our thoughts on that. We need to forget about everything that’s being said around the team. But over the years, I’ve gotten used to it. In the end, that’s how it works at Ferrari, and it’s always been that way. So, you have to deal with it, but I don’t think these rumors can affect us".
On the eve of the Canadian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc also spoke about his race objectives and the delicate moment Scuderia Ferrari is going through.
"If we do everything perfectly, we can aim for third place. Red Bull is faster than us, but they are within our reach. McLaren, on the other hand, is still out of our league, even when we get everything right. We need upgrades, and I hope that soon we won’t have to rely on luck to get onto the podium. It’s true that in Spain we were in the right position to benefit from a bit of luck, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we were lucky. I have full trust in Vasseur, we’re both lucky to be working for Ferrari, and we need to focus on that and give it our all. I can’t wait to get on track so we can stop talking about off-track issues. At Maranello, they’re working and pushing at full throttle. I don’t know if we’ll make it to Austria or Silverstone. It’s something we’re discussing. At some point in the season, you reach a point where you need to decide whether it’s time to focus on next year or if there’s still room to keep fighting for the current championship. Right now, McLaren seems to have a clear advantage, but it’s also true that if you don’t understand what’s not working, it’s not easy to fully focus on 2026. The final decision is up to Vasseur".
Making up 49 points to Oscar Piastri and 39 to Lando Norris isn’t easy for anyone - not even for Max Verstappen. To make matters worse, the next Grand Prix may not be a walk in the park for the Dutch driver, despite his three consecutive wins at this track. The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit places a strong emphasis on traction and lacks high-speed corners, featuring instead many curbs - a characteristic Red Bull Racing cars have recently struggled with. Verstappen, to recover ground, will need to take some risks and drive aggressively. However, he may be tempered by the looming risk of a race ban (which will follow him to Austria as well), meaning he’ll have to carefully calculate every move.
"The Grand Prix in Barcelona was a disappointment for us, and even though we gave it our all, the race didn’t go the way we wanted. We’re looking forward to going to Canada, a very unique track with old-school curbs and many overtaking opportunities. Car setup will be important and it’s always a bigger challenge with the heavy braking zones. Last year’s race was very exciting, we managed to win and hopefully we can put in a positive performance again this weekend. Weather conditions seem better than last year, so we’ll see what happens".
Even before the start of this World Championship, when Red Bull Racing announced the signing of Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen’s new teammate, many questions arose over the Milton Keynes-based team's decision to go with the New Zealander over the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda. In fact, after just two races, the Japanese driver was promoted to Red Bull Racing to replace his former Racing Bulls teammate, just in time for his home Grand Prix. This seemed like the long-awaited step forward in Tsunoda’s Formula 1 career, but so far, his performance has been far from convincing. In seven races, his best result has been P9 in Bahrain, along with two other points finishes - results that pale in comparison to Verstappen’s. Once again, Yuki Tsunoda illustrates the struggles faced by those who have shared a garage with the Dutchman in recent years. The last Spanish Grand Prix was one to forget for Tsunoda - last in qualifying and P13 at the end of the race. To make matters worse, the Safety Car didn't help either him or Max Verstappen in their push for a top-10 finish:
"Without the Safety Car, it might have been enough to score some points, but it is what it is: the car didn’t improve much from the first free practice session. Starting from the pit lane is obviously never ideal, and we knew we had to try something to move forward. We also tried some setup changes, but unfortunately, they didn’t work this time".
As if that weren’t enough, the F1 circus now heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix - a track where Tsunoda has never scored points. However, with the potential to receive components already tested by Max Verstappen and a developing project at Red Bull Racing, there is real hope for Tsunoda to bounce back in North America:
"We have an idea of how we can improve for Canada and I hope we can manage to do so. We’re still not where we want to be, but we’re working hard to improve and maintain strong performance. I love Montreal - the atmosphere, the food, the shopping. This weekend will also be my 100th race: it feels like I just started, but also like this has always been my life. Every one of those 100 races has been special, and I feel lucky to be part of this sport. I’d love to celebrate with a strong result. After the race, I did two days of testing in Barcelona and also worked in the simulator at Milton Keynes - we’ve worked hard together and now I’ve put in many more kilometers with the car. We need to do better in qualifying, and we’ve worked on that. The weather in Canada can be unpredictable, but for once, it looks like it might be dry and stable, which should help us reach our goals".
In the last three races, Mercedes has struggled to maintain the strong form shown at the beginning of the season, and they are no longer in second place in the Constructors’ Championship. George Russell finished fourth in Spain, benefiting from the Safety Car brought out due to a technical issue on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s car, which forced his retirement. Now, the F1 circus heads to Montreal, Canada, and Mercedes hopes to replicate the performance from the 2024 edition of the Grand Prix - when George Russell secured pole and battled for victory before Max Verstappen ultimately prevailed. Team principal Toto Wolff commented:
"We’re excited to get back on track in Montreal after a demanding triple-header. We know we need to be more consistent and continue improving the W16 if we want to return to the form we showed earlier in the season. We were strong in Canada in 2024 and I hope we can replicate that level of performance".
When the Mercedes team signed George Russell alongside the start of the current technical regulations, it was clear that the level of difficulty would rise for Lewis Hamilton as well, who had been the team's benchmark with Valtteri Bottas as his teammate. The British driver showed no fear and aimed to carve out a leading role on the track, refusing subordinate tasks and earning respect equal to his former teammate.
"I’ve always said I don’t fear anyone as a teammate. At the end of 2021, Lewis was the strongest, no one thought anyone in Mercedes could beat him: I came in and performed well from the very first race. The reputation Lewis had is the same that Max Verstappen has now: no one believes Max can be beaten".
George Russell also suggests that he plans to continue his career with Mercedes in the coming season and that he believes a World Championship victory will come soon:
"I’ve always believed in myself. Look at Fernando Alonso: he won two titles in his early years, and people thought he would win ten World Championships, but he hasn’t won another one since. The same happened with Sebastian Vettel. It took Michael Schumacher five years at Ferrari to win a World Championship. This is my fourth year at Mercedes, next year will be my fifth... but in the end, no one knows when their moment will come. You just have to make sure you deliver consistent performances, then time will tell what happens".
In Montreal, the media inevitably asked about the contact with Max Verstappen that occurred in Barcelona. George Russell didn’t shy away from the question and spoke about it in detail, even jokingly:
"I saw Max at the airport, but we didn’t speak. I have to say, I was surprised by his post on social media, but credit where credit’s due, it’s admirable that he took responsibility for it. Honestly, I almost have to thank him for the contact because he was penalized and I benefited from it. Of course, if the collision had caused me to retire, I would think differently. I think he wanted to show who’s the boss, but he got it wrong because the only boss is Jos. His possible disqualification? It would be deserved because the points on the License are there for a reason. If you drive recklessly repeatedly, it’s fair to miss a race".
On Friday, June 3, 2025, a queue of cars is already forming in the pit lane when the session gets underway in mild and dry conditions, with Esteban Ocon leading the pack out on a weekend where Haas are sporting a retro livery to mark their 200th Grand Prix. The event is also one in which McLaren adds upgrades to their car, including the introduction of mermaid tails to the front wing endplate. Oscar Piastri emerges from the pits sporting aero rakes on his car while Lando Norris does not, suggesting that the team is comparing the new parts against the standard. There is an early spin in the session for Franco Colapinto, the Argentine driver briefly bringing out the yellow flags as his Alpine finds itself facing the wrong way at Turn 2. Verstappen, meanwhile, is told by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase that Red Bull is monitoring the issue after the Dutchman reports heavy steering. A few lock-ups also occur during the early stages of FP1, with Kimi Antonelli running wide in the Mercedes before Norris also has a slight moment. But worse is to come for Leclerc, the Ferrari driver triggering the red flags after ending up in the wall at Turn 4. Replays show that the Monegasque locks up and hits the corner on the left before ricocheting into the opposite barrier, prompting him to apologize over the radio. The incident is unfortunate timing for Leclerc, who has put himself at the top of the timesheets prior to the crash. Meanwhile, another close call plays out just before the red flag when Albon tries to move out of the way of an approaching Gabriel Bortoleto, only for the Williams to end up in the Brazilian’s path. The Kick Sauber takes avoiding action in what looks to be a misunderstanding of who will go where. The action shows no signs of abating when the session resumes after Leclerc’s car is cleared, with Russell and Norris each running wide across the grass while Lewis Hamilton has a spin at Turn 10.
As the halfway mark approaches, Verstappen sets the pace on a 1'13"863, just 0.022s clear of Leclerc’s earlier benchmark. Nico Hulkenberg - arriving into the weekend off the back of an impressive P5 last time out in Spain - has a nail-biting brush with the so-called Wall of Champions, the Kick Sauber driver fortunately avoiding any damage. Verstappen, meanwhile, is unhappy after feeling that Hamilton has not left him another space as he passes the slow-moving Ferrari, seemingly another moment of miscommunication. As FP1 wears on and various programs continue to play out - with only four drivers running the C5 medium tire during the hour, the majority sticking with the C6 soft - there is another moment for Norris at Turn 10, the Briton looking to be struggling for grip. When the chequered flag falls, it is Verstappen who ends the session with the fastest time, the World Champion working his way down to a 1'13"193. This puts him 0.039s ahead of Albon in second, while the other Williams of Sainz Jr. follows in third as the Grove-based outfit looks to recover from their tough outing in Spain. Russell slots into fourth, followed by Hamilton and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar in fifth and sixth respectively. Norris takes seventh, with Liam Lawson in the VCARB 02, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Leclerc completing the top 10. With the first hour of running now complete, the drivers and teams examine their data and prepare for Friday’s second practice session, which is set to get underway at 5:00 p.m. local time. After hearing many insinuations about his future at Ferrari, team principal Frederic Vasseur goes on the offensive. During the press conference between FP1 and FP2, the French manager addresses the issue again, without denying that his contract is indeed expiring and that discussions for a renewal have not yet begun.
"Honestly, I don’t want to waste too much time talking about this. I don’t even want to try to investigate or understand where these rumors are coming from. But I think it’s someone who wants to harm the team, because this is not just about me. I know very well, and I knew very well, that I would be exposed when I took this position. But talking like this about Charles… Saying he will leave to go to Mercedes, when from the beginning of the season, in every single interview, he has said he has a long-term contract, that he loves the team, and that he wants to win here. Yet these rumors keep coming back. For me, the most critical aspect is when names of team members are brought up, because many names of many people come to the surface and it’s not fair because they are doing a good job. It’s not for Italian journalists to decide whether we should replace this or that person. And we must consider that we’re talking about people, not things, human beings with families, children, and wives. You can imagine that when they read in the media that Ferrari will hire X to replace someone, this does enormous harm to the team, in terms of focus and environment, and honestly, I can’t understand that. We need to be supported somehow, not thrown into the mud like this. It’s not right. My contract? I’m super calm, but honestly, the problem isn’t me. I’m experienced enough and old enough to make my own decisions. When I joined Ferrari, I knew very well that the situation would be like this. This is life, I knew that my position would be the most exposed. This is true for me and for other teams. Last week, it was Christian Horner who was supposed to be fired before or after Imola, I don’t remember, yet he’s still here, as far as I know. That’s not a problem. The real problem is when we talk about team members, that’s when I start to get upset. If my contract expires at the end of the season? Yes, but we have time to negotiate, to discuss it. We will have time to talk about it and make a decision. We’ll do it in the right time and it won’t be a problem at all".
Later, Vasseur also tells French media from Canal Plus:
"When names like these are thrown around, or when false hires are invented that never existed, or when they say Charles will go to Mercedes next year, I think the only reason is that journalists hope to get clicks and attention with it. Or they do it to disturb the team, or both. But in any case, if they want to support us or be close to the team, they have failed, because I think they need to ask the right questions. If Ferrari hasn’t won for a few years, we’ve changed the team principal, we’ve changed the drivers, we’ve changed almost everything except one thing. My position is fragile by definition. It’s like a football coach. We know that when you do this job at Ferrari or elsewhere, you’re exposed. I believe there are three team principals who change every season. I didn’t come here thinking I would stay for life. I’m just trying to develop the team, to progress, to do things with something".
Ahead of the beginning of the session, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur reveals that Charles Leclerc does not take part in the useful practice hour as a consequence of the chassis damage sustained during his FP1 crash. It is his teammate Lewis Hamilton who is the first out on track, taking the responsibility of gathering as much data as possible as the lone runner to give the Maranello outfit a strong idea of which adjustments they should make overnight. Just five minutes in, Lance Stroll - who manages to return for his home race after missing out on the Spanish Grand Prix due to wrist pain - makes contact with the barrier and snaps his suspension, forcing him to park up with a dislodged front-left wheel. It is a tricky session for much of the field as the lack of rear grip seen in FP1 rears its head again, with a greater number of drivers trying out the C5 medium tyre instead of the softest compound. Despite the switch, the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri appear to struggle initially as they repeatedly miss the final chicane and instead take to the run-off area, a move which Hamilton also replicates, prompting him to raise his hand in frustration. The action quietens as the majority return to the pits, leaving Franco Colapinto with an almost clear track to continue his efforts to extract the maximum from the Alpine, although he can only find enough time for P17 before he suffers his second spin of the day. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ George Russell is having a much smoother experience - at the halfway mark, he is over five-tenths ahead of Hamilton at the top of the timesheets, feeling far more confident on the medium tyres. Attempts from the rest of the field to catch up to the leading Briton are hindered by the high levels of traffic, with Colapinto again involved as both Liam Lawson and Alex Albon narrowly avoid colliding with him in two separate incidents.
Away from the midfield scuffles, Norris puts together his best lap of the day to get within 0.028s of Russell’s benchmark time of 1'12"123 as the track surface continues to evolve, but Mercedes still seems to be the strongest team overall as Antonelli breaks into the top three. As the session begins to draw to a close, the drivers switch their attention away from setting quick laps to take some learnings into the rest of the weekend and help their teams prepare for Saturday’s running. The top three do not change as Russell and Antonelli show that Mercedes may have rediscovered their rhythm after a tough triple header, with Norris splitting the two. Albon also looks strong for Williams in P4 as the first person behind Russell in the order to set his time on the medium tyres. Fernando Alonso finds himself in fifth as the sole Aston Martin ahead of Piastri and Williams’ Carlos Sainz Jr., with Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Lawson rounding out the top 10. Charles Leclerc’s Canadian Grand Prix couldn’t have started worse. The Monegasque driver crashed into the barriers between Turn 3 and Turn 4 during the first phase of FP1, damaging the car. The incident had more serious consequences than expected, as the survival cell was damaged, and a replacement was necessary. Leclerc, therefore, not only had to skip FP1 but also FP2. Not the best way to prepare for Qualifying and the race, especially in a high-tension environment like the one currently surrounding the Maranello team. However, despite the mistake, Leclerc seemed particularly confident.
"My lock-up in FP1 unfortunately had significant consequences. I feel sorry for the team because we couldn’t complete the first or second session. Apart from that, I felt comfortable in the car today, which is positive, so I don’t think what happened will impact the rest of the weekend".
Lewis Hamilton’s optimism about the Canadian GP didn’t last long. He had started the weekend uplifted by the news that the issues he felt with the SF-25 in Barcelona were due to actual problems with the car. After the first day of practice, with an FP2 session finished in P8, over 0.5s behind his former Mercedes teammate, George Russell, Hamilton’s face became noticeably more serious.
"How was today? Not great. I love driving here, the crowd was fantastic today. But the car was very different from what I’ve experienced here in the past. In FP1, I think everything was fine, but then we made some changes, and honestly, I thought the car would be faster, but we ended up being slower. Or at least, the others were faster".
In fifteen appearances at the Canadian GP, Hamilton has claimed seven wins and ten podiums. However, improving these stats this time around seems difficult even for a champion like Hamilton:
"The rear lock-ups? Yes, I’m sure we’ll fix them overnight. There are some changes to be made. Qualifying? We’ll fight to get into Q3, it’s not impossible, and then we’ll try to fight for a top-5 finish. But it’ll be tough".
The first day of practice was a mixed bag for Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver was already quick during FP1, finishing the session first for the first time this season, but then in the second session, he slipped back in the timesheets, ending FP2 in P9, more than 0.5s off the best time set by George Russell.
When analyzing his day with the journalists in Montreal, Verstappen was quite clear about his goal: to fight for a podium, at most.
"If we can fight for the podium, battling with Ferrari and Mercedes, that would be a great result. The McLarens? They’re fast everywhere, I’m not even thinking about winning. I’m more focused on the other teams. For example, we know that last year Mercedes was very strong here. I think if you compare last year to now, maybe they will be even more competitive. So it’s going to be tough to fight for the podium".
In recent weeks, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had explained that he would address the issue of driver contracts for the 2026 season during the summer. In this regard, George Russell confirms that there has been no open discussion about extending his contract.
"There hasn’t been any real conversation, to be honest, because right now we have more important issues. That is, making our car faster. I know I’ll be in Formula 1 next year. My intention and goal is to stay with Mercedes, and I believe that’s Toto’s intention too".
Without any direct question from journalists, Russell also included Verstappen in his response:
"What’s happening is understandable, drivers like Max have always been on the radar, and why wouldn’t they be now? We’re talking about one of the greatest of all time, and I get that. It’s up to me to prove my worth, and I feel like I’ve done that time and time again throughout my seven years in Formula 1 and throughout my career. I have no concerns".
On another pleasant afternoon in Montreal, with the sun shining and temperatures rising, drivers have one more hour of practice to fine-tune their cars and get ready for Qualifying around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. One driver with plenty of work to do is Leclerc, who misses about 45 minutes of FP1 after crashing out and the entire FP2 session when Ferrari mechanics are forced to change the chassis on his SF-25. Home favourite Lance Stroll also loses mileage to make up for following the Aston Martin man’s shunt early in second practice, which disrupts an otherwise positive return to action after surgery on his wrist. Amid questions over whether the soft or medium tyres will be the best option for Qualifying (the difference between Pirelli’s C5 and C6 compounds again appearing to be very small), the early minutes of final practice bring a range of run plans. A quarter of the way into the hour-long session, it’s Leclerc who leads the way with a time of 1'12"843 on the yellow-marked medium rubber, with Aston Martin pair Fernando Alonso and Stroll sitting a few tenths back on the red-marked Soft. Drama then ensues as championship leader Piastri and Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg have moments at the final chicane in quick succession - Piastri tags the wall and picks up a puncture, and Hulkenberg clips it while completing a full spin. After a brief spell under red flags that allow marshals to clear away the debris that has littered the track, drivers are quick to head back out and resume their practice programmes, with Piastri and Hulkenberg forced to watch from the sidelines. As lap times tumble, Russell takes over at the top with a 1'11"950 on softs, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Norris on mediums, while the soft-shod Max Verstappen slots into fourth despite reporting that:
"I’m still lacking bite in the brake material".
A final flurry of improvements on the soft tyres ends with Norris sitting at the top of the timing screen - his tidy 1'11"799 effort just under a tenth ahead of the recovering Leclerc and another tenth clear of second practice pace-setter Russell. Hamilton places two Ferraris in the top four, followed by Verstappen, Alonso, and the other Silver Arrows machine of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri only managing to place eighth - ahead of Williams duo Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon - after making it back out on track. After three practice sessions at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve - with a different driver topping the timesheets each time - it’s now time for Saturday’s all-important Qualifying session. There are still question marks over which tyre might prove the most effective in the session. While the C6 soft compound appears to be the obvious choice for a flying lap, Russell sets the pace during FP2 on the C5 medium - but, given the balance needed to save tyres for race day, the teams must think carefully about their strategies. Sainz leads a queue of cars out as the green light appears to mark the start of Q1, with most of the pack opting for the soft tyres for their opening runs. The Alpine pair, along with Antonelli and Alonso, are the exceptions, having all bolted on the medium rubber. Verstappen, meanwhile, is the only driver to initially remain in the pits for the first few minutes - but the Dutchman makes an impression once he hits the track, going fastest with an effort of 1'12"273.
However, just moments later, he’s displaced by another World Champion in the form of Alonso, with the times rapidly tumbling as the session progresses. With five and a half minutes left on the clock, a red flag is thrown after the engine cover flies off Albon’s Williams down the straight, leaving debris scattered on the track. Both the Thai driver and teammate Sainz had found themselves in the bottom five prior to the stoppage - a dramatic turnaround following the squad’s strong outing on Friday. A flurry of action ensues when the session resumes, with everyone trying to improve during the final minutes. Norris moves to the top with a 1'11"826, going one-tenth clear of Piastri, while Bearman, Hulkenberg, and Ocon all haul themselves out of the danger zone. Albon does enough to avoid elimination by climbing into the top 10, but a wide moment for Sainz leaves the Spaniard unable to improve, leaving him in P17. The Williams driver is also frustrated after encountering a slower-moving Hadjar on track, an incident that will be investigated after the session. Also exiting is Bortoleto in P16 and Stroll at his home event down in P18, while Lawson and Gasly bring up the rear in a disappointing 19th and 20th respectively. After heading out last in Q1, Verstappen is the first to hit the track as the 15-minute Q2 segment begins, the Red Bull man running the medium tyres while the other 14 cars opt for the soft compound. It’s a strong start for the World Champion as he sets an early benchmark of 1'11"638, going 0.038s quicker than Norris in second, while Piastri is third fastest ahead of the Ferrari pair of Leclerc and Hamilton. At the halfway point, the drivers in danger are Colapinto, Hadjar, Ocon, Hulkenberg, and Albon, while it’s also confirmed that Ocon will be investigated after the session for allegedly failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions by not keeping to the far right side of the track. As the minutes tick down - with a mix of soft and medium tyres at play across the pack - Leclerc moves up to P1 on the C6 compound, only to be bettered by Russell on the C5 with a 1'11"570. There’s some late drama when Russell passes Tsunoda at the pit lane exit, prompting Tsunoda to call for the Briton to receive a penalty, while the Japanese driver becomes the object of another driver’s ire when he overtakes Leclerc as the Ferrari driver prepares for his flying lap. When the chequered flag falls, Tsunoda finds himself out of the session in P11, though the Japanese driver will start even further back on Sunday after receiving a 10-place grid drop for a red flag infringement in FP3.
Also eliminated in Q2 are Colapinto (P12), Hulkenberg (P13), and the Haas pair of Bearman and Ocon in P14 and P15. The action continues at pace as the top-10 shootout begins, with Norris having a moment at the final corner that undoes his first flying run and leads to his lap being deleted for track limits. Piastri, meanwhile, initially goes fastest - only for Verstappen to surge ahead with a 1'11"248, two-hundredths ahead of the McLaren. Russell puts his Mercedes into provisional P3 from teammate Antonelli, while Norris manages to recover to fifth on his next effort. Leclerc’s prospects of improving hit a snag when he makes an error in Sector 2, but Piastri looks strong as the McLaren man grabs provisional pole. But with others improving, Verstappen sweeps through to take the top spot - only for Russell to go even quicker, the Briton’s lap of 1'10"899 putting him over one-tenth clear of Verstappen and handing him pole position in Canada for a second consecutive year. The other Mercedes of Antonelli completes a strong day for the team by taking P4, while Hamilton follows in fifth ahead of Alonso in a solid sixth. Norris will likely be disappointed after ending up in seventh, as will Leclerc, who has to settle for eighth. Hadjar claims ninth - ahead of visiting the stewards after the session regarding the earlier potential impeding incident with Sainz - with Albon rounding out the top 10. George Russell and Max Verstappen may not be the two main contenders for the World Championship title, but they are certainly the two drivers who, perhaps more than anyone else, have been delivering entertainment and making this part of the season enjoyable. After what happened in Barcelona, with the contact caused by Verstappen, the subsequent penalty, and the resulting controversy, the two provided more excitement in Montreal, during Qualifying. Both drivers completed their laps on the Medium tire and both were on point: Russell secured pole position, while Verstappen, just 0.160s behind, will start alongside him. Exactly like in 2024, when the two had even set the same time. In the traditional post-Qualifying interview, Jacques Villeneuve teased George Russell, asking him for his opinion about starting side by side with Max Verstappen. The British driver first tries to avoid answering, saying that, in the end, they are friends. But then, when Villeneuve prods him, asking whether it will be necessary to be particularly aggressive in Turn 1 to hold off Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing, which is faster than the Mercedes on the straights, Russell lets slip what seems to be a provocation towards Verstappen:
"I still have a few points left on my license to play with. A pointed jab, not-so-subtly referring to Verstappen’s well-known disciplinary situation, as he comes into this Grand Prix with only one point remaining on his Super License. If he incurs another infraction, he will be forced to miss a race. It seems everything is set for a great spectacle ahead of the race".
Before answering the question about Verstappen, Russell also analyzes his amazing performance in Q3, describing the lap that earned him pole position as one of the most thrilling of his career.
"Today was fantastic; getting pole is incredible. The last lap was one of the most exciting of my life. On the steering wheel, I could see the delta and every corner I was getting faster. I realized that the lap was amazing. Crossing the line and seeing P1 was a surprise, but I'm really happy with what I did".
he post-Qualifying press conference for the Canadian Grand Prix has Max Verstappen as the absolute protagonist. In particular, the Dutch driver is bombarded by the media with questions about his disciplinary situation, the risk of a race ban, and the fact that he will have to start the race alongside George Russell. The reigning World Champion, who had already answered many similar questions during Thursday’s media day, snaps at the journalists, clearly showing his irritation:
"I don't need to hear this again, it makes me angry. You've been talking about it since Thursday... it's such a waste of time, childish. It's really annoying. That's also why I don’t want to talk too much. Because it's really annoying, this world we live in".
Shortly after, the Verstappen show continues: when another journalist asks if he feels different ahead of the race, knowing he’s close to a possible ban, the Dutch driver responds without speaking, simply giving an OK sign with his thumb, causing laughter from Russell and Piastri next to him. When interviewed after qualifying, Max Verstappen said he was aiming for the podium:
"Mercedes also seemed strong in the race simulation. Maybe they're a bit better than us in tire management. McLaren was probably more competitive today than yesterday, so they'll be fast tomorrow. We'll try to get on the podium. Start? Let's focus on the race and try to make it the best race possible".
After days full of tension and media controversy, Frederic Vasseur was probably hoping for a strong Qualifying session to silence, at least temporarily, the critics. However, it didn’t go well for the team, despite the SF-25 being much more competitive than in previous races and potentially capable of battling for pole position alongside McLaren, Russell, and Verstappen. Right at the crucial moment, though, a mistake by Charles Leclerc on his final lap in Q3 turned the dream into a disappointing eighth position.
"Leclerc? Certainly, there’s some frustration, because up until Turn 5-6, he was a tenth faster than Russell, and finishing in eighth place is a shame. I think he was also disturbed by the car ahead of him: a bit of slipstream, a bit of disturbance, and he lost a bit of focus. But that’s how it went. We also need to take the positives from the session; we started with new tires, we used them well, the pace was there, and he had a fantastic recovery compared to the difficult Friday he had yesterday. Today, he was able to fight for pole, and that’s positive for tomorrow".
Later, Vasseur also analyzes Hamilton's performance:
"He had a good session, now we need to put everything together tomorrow. Overtaking is possible, the pace is there. We need to push to recover positions".
These first two days in Montreal will not remain memorable for Charles Leclerc in the form of good memories. The feeling surrounding the Monegasque driver is one of a huge missed opportunity: after the incident in FP1, Leclerc was fast in both FP3 and Qualifying. But at the decisive moment, the Monegasque driver made a mistake. The Ferrari driver dreamed for a few seconds of possibly securing pole position after setting the fastest time in the first sector, but then he ruined everything with a mistake in the section of the track between Turn 6 and Turn 7. There, Leclerc had to manage a huge slide from his SF-25, which cost him a lot of time and forced him to abandon the attempt, finishing Q3 in eighth position. Immediately, Leclerc got angry on the radio: he believed that the mistake was due to the dirty air generated by the car ahead of him, the Racing Bulls of the unfortunate Isack Hadjar.
"What the hell! This guy! Come on! This damn dirty air".
This is Leclerc's understandable outburst, which seemed directed partly at Hadjar and partly at his team, for not having positioned him better on track. However, after calming down, Leclerc cleared the rookie Frenchman of any blame, refraining from accusing him of what, in the end, was simply a driving mistake on his part.
"Was I blocked by Hadjar? That's not the right word. He did nothing wrong, but with these cars and the dirty air, you lose all the downforce, and I lost the rear at Turn 6. I'm very frustrated because we were fighting for pole. The feeling was extremely good. I'm very frustrated. I think the car was really good today, and we didn’t maximize anything".
The Canadian Grand Prix, which in the past has brought many joys to Lewis Hamilton, did not give the British driver a new joy, as he faced his first race in Quebec behind the wheel of the Scuderia Ferrari car. In Montreal, the British driver qualified in P5, over 0.6s behind George Russell's pole position. There is no great happiness for Hamilton, who sees the podium as the maximum goal for the race.
"With the car, it’s not much better, not really. I think we did our best with the setup, and we worked tirelessly all weekend trying to make it faster, but I don’t think the car could go much quicker. I don’t think we could compete with the guys in front, and I think we just have to accept that. Charles was on the start of a good lap, which he didn’t manage to finish, and maybe there were a couple of tenths there, but I don’t think we would have been able to be in the front row. The others had the medium tire, and I’m sure that we... We thought the Soft tire was - or we were told the Soft tires would be the best. The issues with the car in Spain? I don’t know if they might come back, but I hope not. We’ve done everything we can to avoid them, so I’m hoping for a good day. I love this track, but this Ferrari is so different and very, very difficult to adapt to. I hope to fight starting from P5. We have new tires, the Medium and two Hard, and I hope for the podium. That’s my hope for the race. We would never have gotten the pole, I think that’s clear. Mercedes brought an update, I think, I just heard that, so congratulations to them. Their cars have always adapted well to this track, so it was a good result, and I’m happy for them".
For Lewis Hamilton, this historic moment is definitely complex, and so it’s worth appreciating the extreme honesty the British driver shows after every session on track. In a world often too filtered by press offices and full of artificial statements, it’s to be recognized that Hamilton speaks without any barriers. And even at the end of qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, he summarizes his evident struggles with the Ferrari SF-25:
"I don’t feel in tune with the car, and that’s been the case all year. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get in tune with it this season. This car is like someone who can’t dance, someone who has no sense of rhythm. It’s like trying to give rhythm to someone who doesn’t have it. It’s very, very difficult. That’s how it feels with this car".
Hamilton then talks extensively about this first part of the season:
"Most of the time we did FP1, but then FP2 didn’t go well because something was wrong with the car - like the floor not working or the rear wing not functioning. This led to a lack of aerodynamic downforce, and if FP2 goes wrong, you have to recover in FP3. Yesterday, we had a solid Friday, and today we made progress, and that’s a new thing for this season. I’m grateful to have made it to Q3. Probably most of this step forward came from my driving, I changed and adapted my style. I just made a few adjustments to how I was driving. This car drives very differently from the one I had before. You go into the low-speed corners and wait, wait, wait… and it doesn’t want to turn. It’s not suited for this track".
The British driver also talks about his relationship with the engineers, offering an interesting observation that says a lot about the difference in mentality between him and the team:
"We haven’t had any updates; it’s the same car for quite some time. And with the same package every weekend, I’m trying to challenge the guys. I’m constantly fighting with the engineers, asking them questions. They set things up and say: We’ve always done it this way. And I respond: What if we tried this instead?"
Lewis Hamilton does admit, however, that he has made progress:
"Little by little, we try things and are making progress. Since qualifying in Monaco, we’ve improved, but we need updates to be able to fight with those ahead. This is my first half-season with a new team, and it’s interesting to see how different teams work and operate. With this car, hopefully, we can still fight for second place in the Constructors’ World Championship, that would be great. But I want a car that can win in 2026, and that’s the priority. I came here for that".
Scuderia Ferrari certainly cannot be satisfied with the result of the Canadian Grand Prix Qualifying. Team Principal Frederic Vasseur is convinced that without the mistake between Turns 6 and 7, the Monegasque driver could have fought for pole, and the driver himself is aware that he didn’t maximize the potential of his SF-25. It is worth noting that Charles Leclerc was using Soft tires, while the fastest drivers - George Russell and Max Verstappen - had mounted Medium tires.
"I’m very disappointed, although I’m convinced that yesterday’s session didn’t affect my poor performance today. I think I was very comfortable in FP3 from the first laps, and I also felt good with the car in qualifying. We were probably the only ones to do so many laps with the tire used from Q1 until the middle of Q2, and we were strong. In my last lap of Q3, I was finally about to put everything together, but then in Turn 6 or 7, I found Isack about 100 or 150 meters ahead of me. Obviously, it wasn’t an impeding, but the dirty air on a track like this with the walls so close is a big loss, and I lost the rear end. I believed in it, I thought there was pace in the car for pole. I don’t know if the tire choice would have cost us pole in the end, but it would have been close, and I’m very disappointed. Going out early was also my choice, and I’ll think about it again. But if Isack had been 400 meters further ahead and had let me pass between Turns 7 and 8, we wouldn’t even be talking about this. Sometimes, that’s how it goes. I’m still very confident about having a great race, but we’re making our Sunday very difficult".
With Oscar Piastri starting from third position, it was important for Lando Norris to secure a spot in the first row of the Canadian Grand Prix to close the 10-point gap to his teammate in the standings. Instead, once again, the British McLaren driver made an initial mistake at the final corner, and a second error hitting the wall at the exit of Turn 7, losing 0.5s just in T2. Lando Norris will start in P7, behind Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin and ahead of Charles Leclerc, who also lost the chance to fight for pole position in the same section of Turns 6 and 7.
"I made a couple of big mistakes. One was hitting the wall on the last lap at the exit of Turn 7, and the first one was at the last corner. Those were mistakes that cost me. It’s clear that we weren’t as fast as usual, and that’s due to the track and car layout, but the performance was relatively good, and I was happy with qualifying. We might not have had the car for pole, but it was good enough to be in the top three. It’s a track where it’s very easy to push just 1% too much. Then you pay the price, and that’s what happened to me".
Disappointed with a third place: a strange feeling when thinking about the start of last year’s World Championship, but that’s exactly how Oscar Piastri feels after qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. It's a shift in mindset that goes hand in hand with the exponential growth of McLaren, which has now become a solid reference point in Formula 1: the Woking team has had its worst qualifying session of the year, as no McLaren car made it to the front row (something that hadn’t happened since the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix). The culprit for Piastri was the Medium C5 tire, which, compared to the Soft, is easier to manage throughout the lap. George Russell and Max Verstappen played the right card, while the Australian driver used the Soft tire. However, the World Championship leader has no regrets, and given how the weekend had gone - he’d always been behind in the Free Practices - he believes he made the right call.
"To be honest, given how the free practices went, I’m pretty satisfied with myself. We opted for the softs because we had a lot of issues, and we wanted to do a normal qualifying. I’m quite happy with third place; it has a slightly different value this year, but I’ll definitely take it".
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, on the other hand, is happy with his fourth-place grid position, but not with the process that led to it. It had been since the Florida Grand Prix that the Italian driver hadn’t started from the second row. In that case, he lost several positions during the race. But now, after difficult weekends marked by technical problems and a few mistakes, Antonelli wants to redeem himself and bring the Italian flag back to a Formula 1 podium, something that hasn’t happened in sixteen years. After qualifying, Andrea Kimi Antonelli reviews his lap, which was 0.5s slower than the one that secured pole for his teammate, George Russell. However, the British driver had new Medium tires, unlike the Italian, who had to use the set intended for the final phase to qualify for Q3:
"We knew the Medium tire was the fastest. It took me a bit of time to find my rhythm, and that caused me to use up both sets of Mediums before Q3. Using a used tire in Q3 was a disadvantage; the grip started to fade in the last sector, and I lost quite a bit of time, especially in Turn 10. My lap wasn’t great, but despite that, I ended up in P4. It’s not a bad starting position, and we hope to fight with the front runners. I hope to be in the podium fight; that’s definitely the goal. We know the pace our rivals have, but our long run in FP2 still seemed competitive, and I felt good in the car".
One day on from a thrilling Qualifying session - in which Russell pips Verstappen to pole position during the final moments, securing P1 on the Montreal grid for a second year in a row - the attention of the paddock switches to Race 10 on the calendar, the 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix. A number of changes are made to the starting order prior to Sunday’s race. Tsunoda drops to the back of the grid from P11 following a 10-place penalty for passing Piastri under red flag conditions in third practice, while Hadjar is demoted three places for impeding Sainz during Qualifying, moving him from P9 to P12.
Meanwhile, Lawson and Gasly - who both face difficult Qualifying sessions, ending up in P18 and P20 respectively - start from the pit lane due to changes being made to their cars under parc ferme conditions, with each taking on a new power unit. As the drivers assemble on a warm and sunny grid ahead of the formation lap, it is revealed that the top 13 cars - barring Norris in seventh and eighth-placed Leclerc - have bolted on the medium tyres, while the rest of the field has opted for the hard compound. Russell makes a clean getaway from pole when the lights go out, with Verstappen also launching strongly from P2, while Antonelli is quick to put Piastri under pressure in a fight for third, with the Mercedes ultimately getting past into Turn 3. There is plenty of action further back as Albon scraps with former teammate Colapinto, leading to the Williams bouncing across the grass at Turn 9-10. All of this drops the Thai driver back to 12th, while Hulkenberg benefits by moving up to ninth ahead of Colapinto. By Lap 4, Verstappen stays within DRS range of Russell, with the Red Bull driver preventing his rival from building an early lead. Antonelli, meanwhile, drops to two seconds back from Verstappen, with Piastri a similar distance behind the Italian in fourth. Further back, Tsunoda snatches P17 from Stroll while Hadjar runs ahead of Albon in P11. A few laps later, the gap between Russell and Verstappen opens up, with Verstappen no longer within DRS of the Mercedes. Elsewhere, there’s plenty of tyre talk on the radio as Piastri reports:
"Front deg is better than FP2, rear deg is worse".
While Verstappen states that his tyres are fragile. Norris is making gains further down the top 10 order, the McLaren man picking off Alonso for sixth place, while up ahead Antonelli chases down Verstappen. The teenager looks ready to make a move - only for Verstappen to dive into the pits on Lap 13, re-emerging in ninth on the hard tyres. While Albon is informed that the Williams team is monitoring a possible issue with his power unit, Russell opts to cover off Verstappen by pitting one lap after the Dutchman for the C4 tyres, bringing him out in sixth - crucially ahead of the World Champion. This initially puts Antonelli into the provisional race lead before the Mercedes also makes a pit stop, returning to the track behind Verstappen. Piastri then inherits P1 ahead of Hamilton and Norris, with the latter urged by his race engineer to put in one of his amazing races as he looks to overtake Hamilton. After losing the position to Norris, Hamilton heads into the pits to set up a McLaren 1-2 at the front. But it doesn’t take long for the order to change again as Piastri then makes his stop on Lap 17, bringing him back out behind Antonelli. Elsewhere, replays show Sainz suffering a lock-up that sees the Williams narrowly avoid collecting Bearman and Bortoleto in the process. Up at the front, Norris leads on Lap 20 from Leclerc - both having not yet made their pit stops - with Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, Piastri and Hamilton following behind. One of the biggest losers in this sequence looks to have been Hamilton, the seven-time World Champion losing time in traffic, leaving him 10 seconds behind Piastri up ahead. Albon, meanwhile, is engaged in a radio debate over his strategy, the Thai driver being the only medium-starter in the field still running their original tyres. As the Williams becomes a sitting duck to the cars around, Albon finally pits on Lap 24, returning to the track at the back of the field on the hard rubber. Another man discussing strategy is Leclerc, the Monegasque suggesting Plan C in response to his engineer questioning whether Plan B might be an option. Further back, Stroll pits for another set of hard tyres, meaning that the Canadian is definitely running a two-stop race given the requirement to run two different compounds during a race. Up ahead, Russell is making moves, the Briton surging past Leclerc to take P2 down the main straight. Leclerc heads into the pits on Lap 29 - and, like Stroll, the Monegasque re-emerges with the hard tyres on, committing him to making another stop later on. Leclerc comments over the radio:
"I don’t understand this choice".
Norris is the next to stop one lap later, but the McLaren is fitted with the medium tyres, keeping the options open for either a one-stop or two-stop strategy. Leclerc, meanwhile, continues to voice his confusion over Ferrari’s call, the eight-time race winner questioning why the squad decided to stop when he felt that the tyres were still okay.
With all of the frontrunners having pitted by Lap 33, Russell is back in the lead by three seconds from Verstappen, followed by Antonelli, Piastri, Norris, Leclerc and Hamilton. Ocon and Sainz - both yet to stop - are in eighth and ninth respectively, while Alonso rounds out the top 10. Hamilton reports, with the Ferrari driver seemingly struggling in P7:
"I’m nowhere in this race".
Meanwhile, there’s further action in the pits on Lap 38, with Verstappen heading in for his second stop to bolt on another set of hard tyres. This puts the Red Bull back out in sixth. That stop looks to be in response to Antonelli closing in - and, as such, Mercedes opts to pit their driver, with the Italian re-emerging just behind Verstappen on track. The answer to that is Russell. With the Briton approaching some traffic among the backmarkers, the Silver Arrows take him out of that by pitting him on Lap 43 for some fresh C4 tyres. This brings him out in fourth ahead of Verstappen, with Piastri now leading from Norris and Leclerc.
"The car is getting harder to drive".
Piastri informs his race engineer - and soon afterward, the Australian pits, returning to the track in sixth place behind Antonelli. Elsewhere, a battle is playing out between Stroll and Gasly for P17, with the Alpine pushed wide onto the grass, an incident noted by the stewards. Norris rejoins behind his teammate after pitting on Lap 48, while the yellow flags are briefly thrown soon afterward as Albon pulls off the track down an escape road, the Williams struggling with a power unit issue. Another driver having a tough afternoon at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is Stroll, with the Canadian receiving a 10-second time penalty for forcing another driver off the track in that Gasly scrap. Meanwhile, Leclerc - still yet to make his second stop - leads up front, but the Ferrari’s pace drops off. The Monegasque is engaged in another strategy discussion with his race engineer, the driver keen to pit for a set of medium tyres. Elsewhere, Piastri is informed that he is in a straight fight with Verstappen and Antonelli for a spot on the podium - while Leclerc finally makes his stop on Lap 54, re-emerging in sixth as the top five cars all look to have closed in on one another. Things heat up between Antonelli and Piastri, with the McLaren looking to find a way past in the fight for third. But that’s not the only duel to keep an eye on – Norris is closing in on his teammate, while intriguingly, Verstappen looks to be eating into Russell’s lead. There’s bad news for Lawson, the Racing Bulls driver heading to the pits to retire the car, while Sainz finally makes his pit stop, returning to the track in 11th. Meanwhile, Piastri faces a difficult run of traffic while lapping backmarkers, resulting in Antonelli extending his gap ahead, while Norris has got himself on the tail of his teammate. Russell looks to have found some breathing space from Verstappen, the Briton stretching the gap back out to two seconds with eight laps remaining. Piastri, however, does not have that luxury as Norris gets agonizingly close to him - but the Australian is also still keeping Antonelli honest, setting up for a thrilling duel for the final spot on the rostrum. What follows is a nail-biting battle between the two McLarens, with Norris initially taking the position in the hairpin before Piastri snatches the place back into Turn 13. However, when Norris looks to find a way back through down the straight, the Briton brakes late and makes contact with the back of Piastri, putting Norris out of the race.
"All my fault".
Norris says over the radio, apologizing for the incident as he parks his damaged car at the side of the track. Meanwhile, Piastri continues on, and with a Safety Car called to recover the stricken McLaren, the Australian pits to re-emerge in fourth place. Many other cars also dive into the pits before running behind the Safety Car on track. There’s a moment of angst between Verstappen and Russell as the Mercedes man accuses his rival of overtaking him, with Verstappen commenting:
"George erratically braked".
The race ultimately ends behind the Safety Car, a jubilant Russell crossing the line in P1 to take his and Mercedes’ maiden victory of the 2025 season. To add to the festivities for the team, Antonelli clinches third place to complete a double podium for the squad, as well as marking his own debut rostrum in Formula 1. George Russell is the fourth different winner in the first ten races of this season. Mercedes joins McLaren and Red Bull Racing among the winning teams in 2025. Russell started from pole position and never lost the lead of the race, except, of course, when strategy put him behind other drivers. A year ago, Russell made several driving mistakes that effectively handed the win to Verstappen, but this year, he was perfect.
"I’ve felt very strong throughout this season, and it’s not that I was any different this weekend, it’s just that the car was more competitive. This weekend we had the chance to win, and I did it. That’s why I say I’m ready to fight for the championship because when there’s an opportunity, we take it. I’m proud of the team. We still need to find a bit more speed, but we haven’t made many mistakes in these first races, and this win is a personal redemption for the one I feel I missed a year ago when I made several mistakes during the race".
The first podium in a driver's career always has a special flavor. It was no different for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who, in Canada - just his tenth career Grand Prix - achieved a result that Italy had been waiting for sixteen years. After the race, the Mercedes driver didn’t hide his emotion, admitting that, on the eve of the race, he had a feeling that this might be the right day to make history:
"I felt it, and it happened. I’m very happy".
The turning point of the race came at the start, with a pass on Oscar Piastri, but the third-place finish had to be earned in many different moments during his race:
"The pace at the start was good because I managed to stay with the front runners. It was only in the last stint that I pushed a bit too hard to stay behind Max and started to degrade the front left tire. The last few laps were really stressful because I started to struggle while the McLarens behind were closing in. Anyway, I’m super happy with the result, and I can finally take a big sigh of relief".
Continuing his analysis of those crucial moments, Antonelli explains his strategy, also slipping in a comment about what happened after the contact between the two McLarens behind him:
"Certainly, that phase of the race was really tough. I was trying to create a gap, especially in sector 2, so I could be sure not to be attacked at the end of the straight. But yes, it was stressful. Every lap, after each sector, I had Bono telling me the gap. It wasn’t easy. Then the Safety Car came out, and when I saw that Oscar had stopped in the pits, I prayed that the race wouldn’t restart because he would definitely pass me".
In sports in general - and in motorsport, perhaps even more so - it’s often said that a champion recognizes another champion. Those at the top of the category for many years, when looking at the young drivers coming into the sport, are often able to spot the most promising talents who will follow in their footsteps and become their rivals in the future. This seems to be the case for Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. After the GP, in the press conference, Verstappen paid tribute to the young Italian driver who is following the same path as the Red Bull Racing superstar. Antonelli, in fact, became the third youngest driver ever to stand on the Formula 1 podium, a ranking led, not by chance, by Verstappen.
"For me, it’s no surprise. I’ve known Kimi since the karting days, and there were already great things being said about him. So I’ve been keeping an eye on him. I think what’s impressive is that he’s naturally fast. I also like his calm and composed approach. Those are great qualities to have. I never had any doubt that he’d be on the podium this year".
Continuing his analysis, Verstappen apologizes for the Sprint Race in Miami, where his unsafe release in the pit lane inadvertently ruined the Italian rookie’s race:
"He’s had some unlucky races, one of which, in the Sprint Race, was even my fault with the pit stop, but it was only a matter of time. I’m really happy it happened for him. Getting on the podium gives you more confidence. It’s a great boost. And he can only get better. This is his rookie season - there are many things that happen to you. You learn from the bad races, and you learn from the good ones. In the coming years, we’ll definitely see a lot more of Kimi".
It was a weekend to forget for Lando Norris. As long as the classification didn’t matter, the British driver was always ahead of his teammate, Oscar Piastri. But when the stakes rose, Norris fell victim to his demons, making mistakes in Q3 and condemning himself to start from seventh. Not content with that, he lost his composure during the race, and as soon as he caught up to Piastri, he made a huge misjudgment that led to contact with his teammate and ended his race with just a few laps to go. Norris immediately took the blame for what happened on the finish line straight, having tried to overtake on the inside where there was no space. At the end of the race, the British driver apologized to his teammate:
"It was a big mistake. I should have made the decision at that moment, but it was a stupid one. Was the clash between us inevitable? You can never know, but today, it was all my fault. I apologized to the team and to Oscar because my priority has always been the team. So for me to try something like that was stupid. It went as it went; I made the mistake, and now I pay the consequences".
Oscar Piastri commented on the incident:
"We were battling fairly, so it was a bit strange that it happened there. I don’t think Lando had bad intentions; it was just a bit unlucky. I’ll review what happened. But honestly, it was a tough race for me up to that point, so there’s something we need to work on".
Charles Leclerc finished in fifth place in the Canadian Grand Prix, gaining a position at the end due to Norris’s retirement. The Ferrari driver started with the hard tires and wanted to try a one-stop strategy. George Russell caught up to and passed him after his pit stop, but Max Verstappen seemed to struggle more to attack Leclerc, even though he had a new set of tires. At that moment, the Scuderia Ferrari team called Leclerc into the pits, and he commented over the radio:
"I really don’t understand this choice, the tires were still in good condition".
At the end of the race, Charles Leclerc added:
"I felt good with the hard tires, I saw that Russell was faster, but not significantly faster, and then he had confidence in the medium tires, also seeing what Hamilton had done. That said, the engineers definitely have more data than us drivers inside the car. I wasn’t in a good position in the race because I compromised the weekend with the mistake on Friday during FP1 and with the bad luck in Qualifying. Am I less calm because younger drivers than me are winning? No, it’s frustrating not to have a car to win, but what others do doesn’t affect my state of mind".
The Canadian Grand Prix was another anonymous and disappointing race for Lewis Hamilton. Sixth at the finish line, only due to Lando Norris’s retirement, Hamilton was practically forced to spend the entire GP driving solo around the track without ever managing to get close to the pace of Charles Leclerc, who, with the same car and after starting three positions further back, had a 20-second lead before the Safety Car came out. But if Hamilton didn’t steal the spotlight on track, he surely managed to do so off-track, in front of the journalists.
"Updates for the SF-25? I don’t know why we didn’t bring them, honestly. I believe one is coming very soon, at least I hope so. The mindset right now is that there need to be a lot of updates to bring to the system. I’d like to be able to tell you what’s going on, there are many things happening in the background. There are a lot of things I’d like to explain, but I can’t open up too much: the things that have happened this year, the problems we’ve had, what’s going on within the organization. But my goal is to try to positively influence these changes so that we can have long-term success. Because there are a lot of changes that are needed".
Words that carry weight, especially when considering all the media chaos that has been generated over the past week.
"From my side, there’s a need to build foundations because right now we’re not fighting for the championship. It’s clear we’re out of the championship, and we need to make sure we have a great car for next year, so we shouldn’t waste too much time worrying or focusing on this one. I want to ensure that next year’s car is significantly better, right from the first race".
The face of the Ferrari Team Principal, Frederic Vasseur, at the end of the race in Montreal couldn’t look more marked by the difficulties of recent days. On one hand, there are the tensions with the journalists that have inevitably left some aftershocks within the team. On the other hand, while Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, and McLaren were battling wheel-to-wheel for the top five positions, Ferrari’s two cars were not involved in the actions that ignited the end of the Canadian GP. Therefore, despite a fifth and sixth position, which are not bad results and still allow the team to gather a decent points haul, the French manager did not find reasons to smile or joke this time.
"The one-stop strategy requested by Leclerc? I don’t think it was the solution because if we look at the top five, they all did two stops. Sure, it could have worked, but it wasn’t even certain, considering the life of the medium tires. But I don’t think this is the theme of the weekend… The conclusion we need to draw is that we made too many mistakes, we had too many problems, from FP1 with just one car, to the mistake in qualifying, then the problem in the race for Lewis. It was too much for a single weekend. In qualifying, we set the sector record, and then we aborted the lap. The pace isn’t far off, but the problem is when we can’t put everything together because then you find yourself in traffic and lose positions in the race. But honestly, we don’t need to change everything".
And there is also an indirect response to Lewis Hamilton, who has repeatedly called for updates to the SF-25:
"They will come soon, but I don’t think technical updates are the main problem because when you set the sector record, it’s not that the car doesn’t work or that we need updates. I don’t think others bring updates every weekend, and just because we don’t declare them doesn’t mean we’re not bringing pieces. Some are unnecessary to announce… The most important thing is that we focus on ourselves to do a clean job throughout the weekend. And that’s not what we did this weekend".
Then, Vasseur returns to the hot topic of the accusations to the journalists from Friday’s press conference:
"I wouldn’t want to repeat what I said on Thursday or Friday, but I don’t think the atmosphere around the team can help our performance. We’re not under pressure, but there is tension. When you’re in a tight battle and you find yourself in these conditions, then you can’t give your best. Drivers make more mistakes, and we make more mistakes. There’s a need for calm and serenity if we want to express ourselves at our best. That’s my goal, but it’s not all in my hands".
The final word is about the relationship with Ferrari’s higher-ups, who have not expressed any support for the team principal since Le Mans:
"Is the company with me? Yes, that’s not an issue. The most important thing is that everyone is united and pushing in the same direction. But even more, we need serenity. I don’t want to have to fight with everyone, internally or externally. The most important thing is to work as a team. We know that we won’t do the best job in the world every weekend. If we look at Mercedes, they’ve suffered greatly in recent weekends, but they didn’t do a revolution. They kept working, kept developing, kept pushing, and today they succeeded. I think that’s a good example for us. We’re second in the championship (actually third, since Mercedes is back ahead, editor's note), and it’s not the end of the world, it’s not a drama. We just need to keep doing our job and do it properly. Sometimes we lose focus".
At the end of the Canadian Grand Prix, Frederic Vasseur took a moment to comment on Ferrari’s victory at Le Mans and a driver he knows very well:
"I have a close relationship with Kubica. He was two years with me at Alfa Romeo and before that in Formula Renault. To me, he’s an alien. What he’s doing is incredible. Winning Le Mans under these circumstances and being the reference is something I can’t imagine. When Raikkonen got Covid in Alfa Romeo, he got into the car at Zandvoort on Saturday morning, and in that narrow pit lane, he could barely turn the steering wheel or engage the clutch. He had never driven that year’s car, but in that race, he fought with Vettel until the last corner. It was incredible. I’m really happy for him. He’s had a tumultuous career, but thinking back on the determination he put in makes me truly happy for the result he achieved today".
The Team Principal also reflects on the reasons behind Ferrari’s different results in Grand Prix and endurance races:
"I think one of the advantages for the Le Mans team is stability: with the official cars, there are the same six drivers, and on the other one, there’s always Robert. This consistency and the experience of the team management are key. I’m proud of Ferrari’s work, with three cars at the top and three consecutive victories. This stability is a good thing".
Vasseur’s comments on the continuity of the project relate to the Italian press's rumors that circulated earlier in the weekend about a possible separation between the French manager and Ferrari at the end of the year:
"When I signed for Ferrari, I was perfectly aware that I couldn’t blame anyone except myself, and that if I didn’t want to find myself in this kind of situation, it would be better to stay out of it. But for the 1.500 people on the team, it’s tough to see their names spread in the press like that, as if we’re supposed to replace this or that person. They’re not just names or positions, but people with families who come into my office every Monday asking me if what they read is true. On Friday, I mentioned the story of Balbo last year when the papers said we had hired him, but I had to Google him because I didn’t know what he looked like, and I had never met him. Can you imagine what this was like for Diego Tondi, the head of aerodynamics? He didn’t know if it was true or not, and all this generates not a kind of tension, which is not the right word, but entropy or distraction within the team. In the end, we’re competing with the other teams, and if we’re distracted and not focused on the right things, then we’ll lose".
Delving into the details of the Grand Prix, Hamilton once again had a lackluster race, which this time can be attributed to the damage sustained by his SF-25.
"We hit a marmot. It was lap 8 or 9 of the first stint, and we damaged the entire front part of the floor, losing about 20 points of downforce. Fortunately, the balance didn’t suffer too much, but we lost performance".
The Team Principal then explains the decision from the pit wall not to attempt the gamble of a single-stop strategy with Leclerc:
"Charles wasn’t happy with the strategy until he had the full picture in front of him. I spoke to him after the race, and I told him he was right in saying that, being at the back of the lead group, we didn’t have much to lose and could take some risks. However, for us, it would have been a bit too optimistic to complete 50 laps on the hard tires, not so much because of their performance life, but due to their wear. We probably would have needed a few more laps during the weekend to properly estimate that".
Overall, the many mistakes made over the weekend nullified the good potential shown on Saturday:
"The first sector was our weak point all weekend, but on the last lap in qualifying, we set the record there, showing that we had the pace. I don’t want to say that we would have taken pole position, but at least we were in good shape. I think as a group we made too many mistakes, from the incident in FP1 to the marmot during the race. In the end, the fight is so tight that from one weekend to the next, if you’re not perfect, even the smallest thing can change, not so much your lap time, but your final position".
Looking ahead to the upcoming races, Vasseur announces the arrival of the long-awaited updates for the SF-25:
"We’ll have some updates soon, before Silverstone and maybe another one later. However, I believe that nowadays, the execution and setup of the car are more important than the car itself. We are at the end of these regulations, and we all know that when we bring a new part, we’re talking about a gain of a few hundredths of a second, while if you don’t make the most of the car, you can lose tenths. This means that on a few occasions, at least for us - though we’re not the only ones - when we’ve brought updates in the past, it has taken a couple of races to adjust the setup to the new specification. I want to focus much more on the team and execution rather than just the pure potential of the car, but we will bring something".
The Team Principal continues to repeat the mantra that the car's setup is more important than its development:
"I don’t think the main issue today was the car’s characteristics, but rather how we used the tires. Understanding them and choosing the right compounds for qualifying is a pretty difficult exercise. I think Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers did a better job this weekend compared to us and the McLarens. They were on the ball with tire choices from the start, and this is something you have to decide almost from Friday morning. You need to get everything together even before the weekend starts if you want to get a good result. The performance you can get from the tires makes a much bigger difference than the difference between individual cars".