Mercedes may still have Kimi Antonelli leading the way, but the Italian’s victory in Canada came in a very different fashion compared to his triumph in Miami. In Florida, Toto Wolff’s team had to fight much harder for the win, whereas in Montreal the latest upgrades appeared to restore a clear performance advantage. Fortunately, the on-track spectacle did not disappoint, with the all-Mercedes battle captivating fans for more than 30 laps before ending prematurely at the most dramatic moment. Ferrari was the unexpected beneficiary, securing a result far beyond pre-race expectations, thanks above all to a rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton.
A battle cut short too soon
The first encouraging signs for Kimi Antonelli arrived immediately at the start, when the young Italian got the better of George Russell into Turn 1, validating the changes Mercedes had made to the clutch and software systems to improve launch performance. “It’s much better, we needed that, it’s a really good step forward,” Antonelli commented.
That was only the beginning, however, as what followed was an intense intra-team duel, with Antonelli and Russell repeatedly going wheel-to-wheel under braking. Toto Wolff was unlikely to have enjoyed the tension from the pit wall, especially given the numerous braking mistakes seen throughout the field, caused in part by strong winds and unusually cold Montreal conditions on race day.
As the laps passed, it became increasingly clear that Antonelli appeared to have an extra edge over Russell. Unfortunately, a technical issue on the British driver’s car ended the contest just as it was reaching its peak. For George Russell, the retirement carries major psychological weight and already opens a significant gap in the championship standings.
That said, the role of fortune should not overshadow the extraordinary form Antonelli is showing. Four consecutive victories are not accidental—they are the result of a potent combination of outright speed, racecraft, composure, and consistency. Matching Russell at one of the British driver’s strongest circuits can only boost Antonelli’s confidence further, while also confirming that his connection with the Mercedes W17 remains intact even after the team’s first major upgrade package.
Mercedes makes it five from five
It is precisely those upgrades that appear to have restored Mercedes to the top, allowing the Silver Arrows to shake off the pressure rivals had applied in Miami. The key question now is how significant Mercedes’ true performance advantage really is.
Looking purely at qualifying, the gap might seem smaller than it was back in March, but the race painted a very different picture. During the opening stint on soft tyres, once overtaking variables are excluded, Antonelli and Russell were averaging between six and seven tenths per lap faster than their closest challengers—a huge margin on one of the shortest circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.
Antonelli’s pace on medium tyres was less explosive, although by that stage he was clearly managing the race and controlling early front tyre graining rather than pushing flat out.
Overall, after the first upgrade cycle, the Mercedes W17 remains the benchmark. According to Antonelli, the team may not have even shown the car’s full potential yet: “This weekend we didn’t see everything the package can offer. The conditions were unusual, and it was very cold.”
Regardless of how the next few months unfold, Antonelli and Mercedes have maximized their early-season technical advantage impressively. Still, the road ahead remains extremely long, with at least 15 races still to come. Reliability also remains a clear concern, with Russell’s retirement serving as a warning that the same issue could eventually affect Antonelli as well.
Hamilton is back
Helped by the misfortunes of others, Ferrari secured an unexpected second-place finish. Yet the Scuderia still delivered a genuinely respectable performance on a circuit that should have been deeply problematic for the SF-26, given its lack of fast corners and abundance of long straights that expose any horsepower deficit.
The result was driven largely by an energised Lewis Hamilton, who delivered what was arguably his strongest Ferrari weekend so far. The seven-time world champion reportedly chose not to rely on simulator preparation before the Canadian Grand Prix, wanting to avoid being led in the wrong setup direction. Instead, Sir Lewis focused heavily on data analysis, particularly braking behaviour and corner entry techniques, before committing to a new mechanical setup philosophy that clearly paid dividends.
The challenge for Lewis Hamilton now will be consistency. Delivering this level of performance at Canada—historically one of his strongest venues—is encouraging, but Ferrari will need to see the same competitiveness on very different track layouts.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, can at least take comfort in the fact that more favourable circuits are approaching. Montreal turned into a nightmare weekend for the Monegasque driver, who never found confidence in the SF-26 and eventually finished more than 30 seconds behind his teammate.
The chance for redemption comes immediately in Monaco, a venue that could represent Ferrari’s best opportunity yet to fight for victory.
Max Verstappen limits the damage, McLaren throws everything away
Somewhat unexpectedly, Max Verstappen also made it onto the Canadian Grand Prix podium for Red Bull. It was not an easy weekend for the Dutch champion, but he once again extracted the maximum from the opportunities available.
At one stage in the race, Verstappen even looked capable of challenging Lewis Hamilton for position. However, in the second half of the Grand Prix, excessive tyre wear led to a drop in operating temperature, leaving him vulnerable to the Ferrari driver’s pace. Even so, the RB22 once again confirmed itself as an extremely competitive package on the straights, with much of that performance credited to the impressive debut work done on the Red Bull-Ford power unit.
For McLaren, this was simply a disaster. The reigning champions suffered a damaging double retirement, largely after creating problems for themselves with the decision to start on intermediate tyres, followed by the baffling choice not to pit even after the three formation laps. The recovery drive that followed ultimately led Oscar Piastri into an error, crashing into an innocent Alex Albon, while a separate technical issue later forced Lando Norris out of the race as well.
Elsewhere, Alpine had reason to smile, placing both cars in the points with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls separating them. Meanwhile, Audi continues to fade as development progresses, once again finishing outside the top 10.
Attention now turns to Monaco, where Ferrari may genuinely have the ingredients to attempt something special. However, the Principality has always been such an unusual circuit that predictions remain extremely risky.
June will also bring the debut of the new compression ratio verification test, although arguably even more significant will be the publication of the ADUO standings. All of this overlaps with the increasingly urgent need to finalise the 2027 regulation changes, where decisions can no longer be delayed.
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