The 2026 Formula One (F1) Canadian GP delivered yet another exciting race weekend. Kimi Antonelli emerged victorious after an intense battle with his Mercedes teammate George Russell, whose race ended prematurely due to a power unit issue.
Several drivers were unable to finish the race due to a variety of technical and strategic problems. We take a look at some of the biggest talking points from the 2026 Canadian GP in Sports Side’s “Biggest Hits and Misses” format.
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Hit: Kimi Antonelli’s lead extends after the victory
After a fierce battle with George Russell, which came to an end on Lap 30 as an engine failure forced Russell to retire from the race, Antonelli claimed his fourth consecutive win. This weekend was a learning curve for the young Italian, as for the first time, he experienced his first F1 intense wheel-to-wheel battle with his teammate.
Antonelli was caught off guard during the sprint race when Russell aggressively defended against him. He was disappointed with Russell’s racing style and made his frustration clear on the team radio. Russell prevailed during the sprint, claiming the win.
During Sunday’s main race, both Mercedes drivers lost positions at the start to McLaren’s Lando Norris. Norris was forced to pit early due to McLaren’s poor tire strategy. This meant both Silver Arrows drivers went back and forth for first and second position until Russell’s unfortunate technical issue.
The 19-year-old continues to impress with his brilliance and growth. The points deficit between him and George Russell is now 43 points. This was not a perfect weekend for Antonelli, as he was overly aggressive against Russell at times.
Despite this, Antonelli still appears stronger than George Russell and is well ahead in the championship.
Miss: McLaren’s miserable weekend
After the Miami GP upgrades and improved form, McLaren returned to the track looking to continue their championship pursuit, or at least challenge Mercedes’ dominance. This weekend proved disastrous for the Surrey-based outfit.
The weather played a crucial role throughout the race weekend, with rain initially expected to make it a wet-weather race. Anticipating those conditions, McLaren gambled on intermediate tires. However, the track conditions improved before the start, which reduced the effectiveness of that strategy. The situation became even more complicated when Arvid Lindblad was unable to get his car moving on the formation lap due to a technical issue, forcing an additional formation lap that further worked against McLaren’s tire choice.
Despite this, McLaren had a flying start as Lando Norris overtook polesitter George Russell to become the race leader. That glory was short-lived, however, as he had to pit for a tire change. Norris eventually retired due to a gearbox failure.
Just like his teammate, Oscar Piastri was also forced to pit early, losing multiple positions. Later in the race, Piastri collided with Alex Albon, received a 10-second penalty, and finished outside the points. McLaren failed to score any points in the feature race of the Canadian GP.
There was still one positive that McLaren could take from this: they had promising pace to challenge Mercedes in the weekends ahead if they executed the strategy correctly.
Hit: Lewis Hamilton’s best result of the season
Lewis Hamilton achieved his best result of the season with the P2. He was constantly battling with Max Verstappen, who was on his tail. He described the battle with Verstappen as enjoyable and a “cat-and-mouse game.” He seemed to have lost the podium opportunity when Verstappen overtook him.
Ferrari executed the pit strategy very well, which helped Hamilton to shrink more than a five-second gap. Hamilton then completed an impressive overtake on Verstappen around the outside at Turn 1 while controlling the entry into Turn 2.
Ahead of the Canadian GP, it was revealed that Hamilton had “unplugged the simulator,” with the seven-time world champion deciding to rely more on instinct and experience. That gamble clearly paid off, with the Briton securing second place.
Miss: George Russell‘s championship hopes further slip away
This was a very important weekend for George Russell’s championship after losing three consecutive races against his teammate and championship rival. Russell was returning to Montreal, which is considered his happy hunting ground.
He had a promising start. He secured the sprint pole and converted it into a win. He was on the pole for the main race but quickly lost his position to Norris. He was involved in an intense wheel-to-wheel battle with Antonelli and retired due to an unlucky power unit issue.
The bigger concern for Russell was Antonelli’s pace on a circuit considered one of Russell’s strongholds. Another thing that will sting for Russell is that he was ahead of Antonelli before retiring, meaning a possible win was on the cards. The championship pendulum is currently swinging heavily in Antonelli’s favor.
Hit: Franco Colapinto in the form of his life
Franco Colapinto continued his brilliant form from Miami and finished in a career-best P6. This improved form appears to be the result of Alpine tweaking the car to better suit his driving style. He is consistently outperforming his teammate, Pierre Gasly.
The 22-year-old completed only one lap during free practice, but despite the limited preparation time, he still delivered a strong performance. Most of his race was clean apart from one small mistake, when he slid off the pit exit on cold, hard tires and slightly hit the barrier. However, he quickly recovered and benefited from the mistakes of drivers ahead of him.
This is the final year of Colapinto’s contract, and his recent form is making a strong case for an extension.
Miss: Aston Martin’s slump continues
Aston Martin endured another difficult weekend. The team has struggled with multiple reliability issues throughout the season, and Canada was no different. Fernando Alonso retired from the race and was visibly frustrated, not just because of the retirement but also due to the team’s overall struggles this year.
F1 will resume with the Monaco GP after a week’s break on June 7.
