Russell celebrates first win of year as Norris holds hands up

George Russell scored the first race victory of 2025 for both himself and Mercedes with a fine drive to win the Canadian Grand Prix.

- Tony Dodgins

The catalyst was a superb sixth career pole position which Russell described as "probably the most exhilarating lap I've ever done in my life because around this circuit you've got to be so committed".

The 27-year-old Briton overcame the threat of the four-time world champion Max Verstappen, after the pair collided twice at the previous race in Spain, after which the Dutch driver received three penalty points on his licence, taking him to within a single penalty point of a one-race ban.

After beating Verstappen to pole in Montreal, Russell joked that he had a bit more leeway to get his elbows out at the start. After a better getaway, he didn't need to, and fears that higher race-day temperatures might hamper the Mercedes tyre wear proved unfounded. Verstappen was rarely more than two seconds behind Russell but was never close enough to launch an attack.

Behind them, the 18-year-old Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli became the third youngest driver to appear on an F1 podium after an accomplished drive that got him to the finish ahead of the hitherto dominant McLarens.

The McLaren team principal, Zak Brown, has conceded that with two evenly matched top-line drivers in a potentially championship-winning car, an on-track contact between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was more a question of when, than if.