RUSSELL WINS SPRINT IN MONTREAL AFTER MERCEDES TEAMMATE BATTLE
What happened between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in the Saturday Sprint in Montreal was worth much more than the eight points on offer. The two Mercedes drivers fought hard for first place on track, and the tension continued over team radio after the chequered flag.
Antonelli had several close moments with his teammate in the early laps and ultimately came off worse, finishing third behind McLaren’s Lando Norris. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fifth, while Lewis Hamilton ended sixth after losing pace in the final laps.
After a strong start to the weekend, where Mercedes looked clearly ahead, Saturday featured the third Sprint race of the 2026 season. Mercedes locked out the front row in qualifying, with Russell starting from pole and Antonelli alongside him.
Behind them were McLaren and Ferrari, expected to fight for best of the rest, while Max Verstappen started from seventh for Red Bull. Several drivers started from the pit lane due to issues, including Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, and Alex Albon. Lance Stroll also had problems before the start and began from the pit lane.
At the start, the top positions stayed the same, with Russell, Antonelli, and Norris all getting away cleanly. Oscar Piastri lost a place to Lewis Hamilton, who had a stronger launch. The main story of the early laps was the intense battle between the two Mercedes drivers.
Antonelli had to cut the first chicane to avoid contact on lap six, and soon after he struggled again under braking, going off track and losing position to Norris. Hamilton briefly tried to challenge Antonelli as well, but the Italian managed to keep a gap.
As the race continued, Norris showed strong pace and closed in on the leaders, while Antonelli also began to recover some time. Hamilton remained behind the podium fight but stayed close to Piastri, even lightly touching the wall during the race.
Several drivers further back made pit stops to test soft tyres. In the closing laps, Antonelli tried to pass Norris but ran wide again in Turn 1 and failed to complete the move.
George Russell went on to win the Sprint, holding off the pressure from behind and crossing the line first. Norris finished second, with Antonelli third after a frustrated and emotional radio exchange with his team. Piastri finished fourth, ahead of Hamilton, who was also beaten by his teammate Leclerc in fifth place. Verstappen and Lindblad completed the top ten in the Montreal Sprint.
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