Words: Kyle Cassidy
Published 25 May 2026
Kimi Antonelli strengthened his grip on the Formula One world championship after claiming a fourth straight grand prix victory in a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal’s Canadian Grand Prix.
The teenage Mercedes star capitalised on the retirement of team-mate and title rival George Russell, whose race ended prematurely with a power unit failure midway through the 68-lap contest at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Russell had started from pole position and traded the lead several times with Antonelli in one of the season’s most intense on-track battles before pulling to the side of the circuit on lap 30.
Antonelli eventually crossed the line 10.7 seconds clear of Lewis Hamilton, with Max Verstappen completing the podium for Red Bull Racing. It marked Verstappen’s first podium finish of the season.
The result extends Antonelli’s championship advantage over Russell from 18 points to 43 after five grands prix and three sprint races, with Mercedes remaining unbeaten so far this year.
For New Zealand fans, there was also reason to celebrate as Liam Lawson delivered another strong drive to finish seventh for Racing Bulls.
Lawson endured a difficult qualifying session and originally lined up 12th on the grid. He inherited 11th before the start after team-mate Arvid Lindblad was unable to take the start due to a mechanical problem.
The Kiwi quickly moved forward during the opening stages, gaining several positions on the first lap before settling into eighth place. Russell’s retirement later promoted him to seventh, although Lawson spent the closing laps under pressure from Pierre Gasly.
A post-race investigation into a possible yellow-flag infringement briefly cast doubt over Lawson’s result, but officials later confirmed the 24-year-old would retain seventh place.
The finish delivers Lawson his fourth points-scoring result of the campaign following points finishes in China and Japan. He remains 10th in the drivers’ standings with 16 points.
Speaking after the race, Lawson admitted the weekend had been challenging but said the result was an encouraging recovery.
“After a difficult start to the weekend, finishing in P7 is definitely a good result for us, so it’s nice to bring home points for the team,” Lawson said.
“Overall, it wasn’t an easy race. We made up some ground from where we started, but we also struggled with the balance of the car and lacked some speed throughout the race.”
Formula One now heads to Monaco Grand Prix on June 7, where Antonelli will look to continue his remarkable winning streak while Lawson aims to build further momentum in the midfield battle.
