George urges rivals to keep hitting the skids!

GEORGE Russell hopes Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will continue to throw away points to propel him into this season's world championship fight.

- By PHILIP DUNCAN

Russell won from pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday night to claim his first triumph of the year and just the fourth of his career.

The British driver has been one of the grid's standout performers this season, and his win in Montreal takes him to 62 points behind championship leader Piastri.

Russell is 40 points behind Norris after he failed to score following a collision with McLaren team-mate Piastri. Runner-up Max Verstappen is 43 points off the championship pace.

After the race, Verstappen's Red Bull team protested Russell's "erratic and unsportsmanlike" driving behind the safety car, deployed following Piastri's late collision with Norris, with both drivers summoned to see the stewards. But the case was dismissed five hours after the race ended as Russell held on to his victory.

"I don't know how both Max and I are so close to those two (Norris and Piastri) in the championship because McLaren clearly have the dominant car," said Russell.