Mercedes experienced a Sunday of opposite emotions at the Canadian Grand Prix of Formula 1. Kimi Antonelli claimed victory in Montreal, while George Russell retired when leading the race after a power unit problem and a fierce battle with his teammate.
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The result reinforced the great moment of the young Italian, who reached his fourth consecutive win of the season. At the same time, the team left the Canadian circuit regretting the failure that took Russell out of a direct fight for victory, after an intense duel between the two drivers.
Antonelli made a point of showing solidarity with his teammate after the race: “First of all, I feel sorry for George. He was leading the race and was very strong throughout the weekend,” he said. The Italian highlighted that the two had a balanced confrontation in the first stint and regretted not being able to fight for the win until the end.
The Mercedes driver also commented on the difficulties faced throughout the race. According to him, the low temperatures and strong wind made working with the tires difficult, especially in the initial laps: “We had several wheel locks, especially at the start of the race, but fortunately I managed to keep the car on the track and win,” said the Italian.
Russell, despite the retirement, said he was satisfied with his performance in Canada. The Briton recalled that he secured pole for the Sprint, won the short race, secured pole for the GP, and was leading the main race before the failure: “There was nothing more I could do this weekend, and that gives me confidence for the rest of the season,” he said.
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The Briton also highlighted the direct battle with Antonelli in the first laps: “It was like going back to Karting times, racing wheel to wheel and swapping the lead several times,” he added. Russell regretted the premature end of the battle, saying he would have liked to take the confrontation to the final flag.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ track engineering director, described the weekend as bittersweet for the team. The manager celebrated Antonelli’s victory but acknowledged the frustration over Russell’s retirement due to a problem with the car’s battery pack.
Shovlin also explained that the cold and windy conditions made the race especially complicated in terms of tire warming. According to him, Mercedes quickly identified that the one-stop strategy was the best option, and assessed that both drivers had enough advantage over the competitors to fight among themselves without compromising the race: “The margins remain very small and everyone continues to evolve quickly,” he added.
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