Canadian GP: Hamilton claims Ferrari breakthrough, Antonelli makes F1 history
Lewis Hamilton hailed his strongest performance yet for Ferrari after finishing second in the Canadian Grand Prix, while teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli continued his remarkable start to the Formula 1 season with a fourth straight victory in Montreal on Sunday.
It was a momentous day for both drivers, albeit for very different reasons.
For Hamilton, it marked the first second place since joining Ferrari and the most convincing display so far for the Italian team after a difficult start to life in red. For Antonelli, the victory further cemented his amazing rise as the 19-year-old became the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1952 to win four consecutive Formula 1 races.
ANTONELLI CONTINUES THE RUN OF DREAMS
Antonelli’s triumph came after what appeared to be a a thrilling battle inside the Mercedes with team-mate George Russell. The two drivers traded positions several times in the early stages, including a furious lap-to-lap exchange on lap 13, before Russell’s race ended abruptly on lap 30 due to power unit failure.
With Russell out, Antonelli took full control and never looked back, crossing the line in 1:28:15 to finish nearly 11 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium in third.
“Not the way I wanted to win. It should have been a good fight with George, but we’ll take it,” said Antonelli after the race.
The Mercedes rookie has now won all five Grands Prix this season and leads the drivers’ championship with 131 points, well ahead of Russell’s 88.
Russell, meanwhile, was left frustrated after a mechanical problem denied him the chance to win.
“Everything just went off all of a sudden,” Russell said.
“I just went into a corner, engine stalled, no electronics, no proper braking. I’m bloody frustrated with what happened, but what else can I do?”
HAMILTON FINALLY FINDS HIS COMFORT ZONE
While Antonelli stole the headlines with another historic victory, Hamilton’s performance offered Ferrari a significant boost.
The seven-time world champion revealed that key adjustments behind the scenes, including a new approach to car set-up and working more closely with his engineers, have finally helped him feel comfortable in the Ferrari package.
“I chose a different set-up this weekend before preparation, just going through the data and working really well with my engineer,” Hamilton said.
“I was finally able to attack all corners.
Hamilton also praised Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur for supporting the changes he has demanded since joining the team.
“There’s a lot of changes I’ve had to ask for and Fred has been great at supporting me and moving mountains to make me feel comfortable. It’s finally starting to show in my performance.”
The Brit also reserved special praise for his engineering team, including Cedric Santi, who stepped into a key role at the start of the year.
“I’m really grateful to the team for continuing to support me weekend in and weekend out. It’s a great feeling to see them so happy because they really deserve it.”
The podium was particularly significant given Montreal’s emphasis on straight-line speed, traditionally an area of weakness for Ferrari. With rivals such as Mercedes rolling out improvements in Canada, Hamilton believes Ferrari’s competitiveness offers hope for the races ahead.
“For it to be a real circuit with straight speed and we were able to hold on and get this result, it definitely gives me high hopes for what lies ahead,” said Hamilton.
Mercedes now lead the constructors’ standings with 219 points ahead of Ferrari on 147, but while Antonelli’s dominance continues, Hamilton may finally have found his footing in red.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
25 May 2026 15:44 IST
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