Russell wins F1 Canadian GP as Norris-Piastri clash shakes up title fight

by F1 correspondent Michael Butterworth

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- George Russell claimed Mercedes' first win of the season with a commanding drive from pole position in Montreal, but the biggest drama came behind as McLaren teammates and title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided late in the race.

The contact occurred on lap 67 of 70 as Norris attempted to overtake Piastri for fourth. The Briton misjudged a move on the pit straight and ran into the back of the Australian's car.

Norris retired on the spot with front suspension damage, while Piastri continued to finish fourth behind Russell, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and the second Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. The race ended under the safety car.

Norris immediately took full responsibility over team radio: "It's all my bad, all my fault. Unlucky, sorry. Stupid from me."

The incident, reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button's infamous clash at the same point in 2011, dealt a blow to Norris' title challenge. Piastri's points lead over his teammate now stands at 22 points, with Verstappen a further 21 points behind.

Until the clash, Norris had run a good race from seventh on the grid on an inverted tyre strategy. Having gained on Piastri, the Briton surprised his teammate on lap 66 with a pass into the hairpin, but Piastri regained the position with a cut-back down the straight.

As Norris aimed to slingshot past on the pit straight, he ran out of room and his front wing broke against the rear of Piastri's car.

While McLaren were left to rue the first clash between their two drivers this season, Russell delivered a composed and clinical performance out front.

Having taken a surprise pole position in Saturday's qualifying session, he converted it into victory with a strong start and controlled the pace throughout the afternoon. Despite closing the gap in the closing laps, Verstappen never truly threatened.

Mercedes, however, may face a post-race protest from Red Bull, who allege Russell drove erratically under the safety car.

Behind them, 18-year-old Antonelli secured his maiden F1 podium in just his tenth Grand Prix. The Italian overtook Piastri for third on the opening lap and showed maturity in defending the final podium place before Norris' crash neutralized the race.

Ferrari endured a frustrating day. Charles Leclerc finished a distant fifth after publicly questioning the team's strategy to make two pit stops instead of just one. Teammate Hamilton finished a low-key sixth, although the Briton's pace was affected by an early collision with a groundhog, which damaged his floor and cost him some downforce.

Fernando Alonso continued Aston Martin's mini-revival with a solid seventh place, followed by Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in eighth. Esteban Ocon secured ninth for Haas, and Carlos Sainz took the final point after executing a well-managed one-stop strategy.

The 11th round of the 2025 Formula 1 season is the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, where Russell won last year after Norris and Verstappen clashed while battling for the lead. ■