George Russell won Mercedes’ first victory for Formula 1 season in Canada on Sunday (15), while McLaren’s Oscar Pistri opened 22 points of advantage in the championship after his teammate, Lando Norris, colliding with him and abandoning the race.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who expected to win for the fourth consecutive year at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, was in second place. Young Italian Kimi Antonelli, a 18 -year -old Russell teammate, ended third, winning his first podium at F1.
Pistri was fourth, with the safety car leading the final lap before walking away to make the way for Russell to receive the checkered flag.
An afternoon without great events exploded in drama when Norris reached the rear of Piistri’s car to three turns from the end-a long-planned collision in the battle for the title-while trying to exceed him.
The Briton, who ended up standing by the track without the front wing and the car damaged, was quick to take the blame. “I’m sorry. All my fault. Totally my fault. Stupidity of me,” Norris said on the team’s radio.
Pistri went to the pits when the safety car was triggered and returned with the advantage of tires about Antonelli he could not use, as the race was not resumed.
“Glad not to have ruined his race. In the end, apologizing to the team,” Norris told Sky Sports Television. “This wasn’t even a ‘run’, it was simply silly on my part.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth, with Fernando Alonso in seventh by Aston Martin and Nico Hulkenberg gaining more solid points for the eighth place.
Esteban Ocon was ninth by Haas in his 200th race, with Carlos Sainz tenth by Williams. Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber, ended in 14th position.
“Good job, team. This compensated last year,” said Russell, who also started in pole last year but finished third. His last victory before Sunday was in Las Vegas last November.
“It’s amazing to be back to the highest step in the podium. I felt that last year it was a lost victory and probably got the victory today due to the incredible pole position yesterday [sábado (14)].”
Third place made Antonelli the third youngest pilot to rise to the F1 podium.
“I had a good start, I managed to jump to third place and just kept myself ahead,” he said about overtaking Pastri on the first lap.
“In the last stint, I forced a little too much behind Max, ended up damaging the left front tire a little, and had difficulties in the end, but I’m very happy to win the podium.”
Russell started well from pole position, with Verstappen right behind.
Behind them, Williams Alex Albon passed through the grass after starting ninth with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, raising from the tenth position before losing to Hulkenberg and then falling into the classification.
Norris, who started with hard tires to stay longer in the first Stint, was leading on the way 16 after others who dropped out with mediums made their pit stops. He then stopped around 29 and went out fifth, behind Pastri in fourth.
Leclerc also entered that lap, but then asked why Ferrari had made the call, with his hard tires still in reasonable conditions.
Hamilton was behind his teammate, with damage reported in his car, and questioning aloud where the performance had gone.
“I’m not anywhere in the race, man, I don’t know what happened,” the world champion told his team engineer on the team’s radio.
