An unexpected victory for George Russell and Mercedes, a team previously labelled as a tyre-eater. The Brackley squad proved to be the best at handling the challenges of an unusual weekend in which McLaren missed out on the podium altogether. Ferrari, on the other hand, disappointed—perhaps guilty of a conservative strategy, but also clearly lacking the pace to contend with the leading pack.
The Montreal anomaly
The first question raised at the chequered flag was what suddenly neutralized the dominant McLarens and instead lit up the Silver Arrows. As always, there is no single answer, but tyres played a major role. “We still have the usual tendency to overheat the tyres, whether front or rear,” said Toto Wolff just two weeks earlier in Barcelona, acknowledging Mercedes’ long-run struggles. In Spain, as on many other tracks, the race was shaped by thermal degradation—a domain where McLaren usually leads. The phenomenon is caused by tyre deformation under heavy lateral loads, especially on rough asphalt, which generates heat within the tyre structure. In Canada, however, the situation was entirely different.
On a circuit with few long corners, smooth tarmac, and cars running mid-to-low downforce setups, tyre deformation was far less intense. Long straights also helped cool the tyres, despite track temperatures reaching 50°C on Sunday. As a result, thermal degradation became less of a factor, reducing McLaren’s typical tyre management advantage, including over a single lap, while also mitigating Mercedes’ usual weaknesses.
Antonelli’s contribution
Instead, mechanical degradation—commonly known as graining—took centre stage. This phenomenon involves rubber tearing off the tyre surface due to sliding. Mercedes excelled in this area through setup work, finding a balance that protected the rear tyres from wear without inducing front-end understeer that would worsen graining. Both drivers managed to survive the tricky early phases of the race, during which many reported unexpectedly high wear compared to Friday’s simulations, which were conducted on a track about ten degrees cooler. As the rubber built up on the surface throughout the race, graining became progressively less critical.
Freed from its tyre overheating demons, the W16 in Montreal was able to leverage its strengths, including traction and rear stability under braking—crucial on a stop-and-go circuit. The win and double podium capped a flawless weekend execution from Mercedes, highlighting not only their recent development push but also the reintroduction of the new rear suspension, which is just the tip of the iceberg.
George Russell’s victory was also aided by the excellent performance of Antonelli, who secured his first Formula 1 podium. The young Italian’s presence at the front impacted rival strategies—forcing Max Verstappen into a different approach and blocking McLaren’s recovery. Crucially, when both drivers perform at a high level, the entire team benefits by having two strong references during car setup. This time, it was George Russell who capitalized on it all in sublime form, but it seems only a matter of time before the Italian national anthem plays again on the podium.
McLaren, a setback
Only one McLaren finished, and it missed the podium. Lando Norris’ error was a heavy blow to his championship hopes and confidence, marring a race he had otherwise run strongly. Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, now enjoys nearly a race’s worth of advantage in the standings, although the MCL39 wasn’t exceptional in Canada.
Still, there’s no reason to worry. The papaya car showed a pace consistent with the leaders, but its result was limited by a below-par Saturday and a poor start. On paper, Montreal should have suited McLaren with its emphasis on traction, slow-corner agility, and kerb stability—qualities already proven in Monaco and Miami. But the reigning world champions fell short of expectations. This appears to have been a setup misstep—something that happens even to the best, including the dominant 2023 Red Bull team in Singapore.
Ironically, Red Bull came away with a stroke of luck in Canada. Max Verstappen reduced his championship deficit on a weekend where he expected to lose more ground. The reigning world champion made the difference in his out-laps on cold tyres after pit stops, while Mercedes expected to benefit from delaying Antonelli’s stops. Now, Red Bull looks to Austria, one of Verstappen’s strongest tracks, where they aim to bounce back.
Ferrari lacking pace
It was a bitter day for Ferrari in Canada, as they relinquished second place in the Constructors’ Championship to Mercedes. With this latest result, Ferrari is now the only top team yet to win a race this season. Much of this drought is rooted in Saturday performances—an area Mercedes often executes well. Maranello must now make the most of its one-lap gains on new tyres, which were wasted in Canada due to imperfect execution by the drivers.
The strategy with Charles Leclerc also raised questions, as the team committed to a two-stop approach that left him hopelessly behind the leading pack. In hindsight, a one-stop strategy paid off for Ocon and Sainz, who climbed back into the points by taking advantage of the track’s evolution to extend tyre life. One could also ask why McLaren didn’t gamble on a single stop with Norris.
Yet, comparing Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc reveals that Ferrari’s biggest issue wasn’t strategy—it was pace. In the middle stint, Charles Leclerc lost time to Norris even while running harder tyres, and he fell further back in the final stint despite having mediums that were six laps fresher than Norris’ hards. This was a Ferrari lacking rhythm in Montreal, now clinging to long-awaited updates to avoid the risk of finishing the season winless.
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