Russell Wins Canadian GP Sprint After Antonelli Clash — F1 Start Time Uk
George Russell won the Canadian Grand Prix sprint race after a lap six clash with Kimi Antonelli at turn one, and the Mercedes order changed fast once the lead fight turned into contact. Russell’s win trimmed his gap to his championship-leading teammate to 18 points, with Lando Norris second and Antonelli third.
Russell Puts Mercedes First
Russell and Antonelli were fighting for the lead when they made contact on lap six at turn one. Antonelli said on the radio, "That should be a penalty, I was alongside the mirror", then later added, "I don’t care he pushed me off!"
Russell kept going and later summed up the duel simply: "It was a good battle with Kimi." Antonelli, who finished third, said after the race, "I tried to make my move, I need to review it, because I was quite well alongside and I got pushed off".
Wolff Cuts Off The Radio
The flashpoint moved straight to the Mercedes pit wall. Toto Wolff told Antonelli to "stop the radio moaning" while the two cars were still being sorted out on track, and Mercedes planned to discuss the issue in private after the sprint.
That left Mercedes with a result that was strong on paper but messy in execution. Russell finished first, Norris took second, and Antonelli’s run dropped from a possible team advantage to third after the contact and his off-track moment on lap six.
McLaren And Ferrari Behind
Behind the Mercedes pair, Oscar Piastri finished fourth, Charles Leclerc fifth, Lewis Hamilton sixth, Max Verstappen seventh and Arvid Lindblad eighth. Those places mattered because the front of the sprint had already been decided by the Russell-Antonelli battle before the rest of the field filled in behind them.
Russell now sits 18 points behind his teammate in the championship fight, and Mercedes leaves the sprint with one win and one frustrated driver. The team’s next move is private discussion, but the track result is already set: Russell banked the victory, Antonelli banked the grievance, and Mercedes lost the chance to turn its lead fight into a cleaner finish.
