Five Takeaways: Canadian Grand Prix
- Mia Wallace
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
A day of absolute mayhem unfolded at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday, as controversial tyre selections, a surprising podium lineup, and a teammate battle flipped completely on its head took centre stage. On an unforgiving track in unpredictable conditions, Formula One once again proved just how quickly a race weekend can descend into chaos.
Through it all came a Grand Prix result that almost nobody saw coming given George Russell’s typical dominance in Montreal. Here are DIVEBOMB’s five key takeaways from the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix.
Russell retires, Antonelli ascends
Russell’s championship campaign has slipped even further from his grasp after being forced to retire on Lap 30 in Montreal.
The Briton, fresh off of a sprint win and pole start in the race, engaged in an intense back-and-forth battle with his teammate Kimi Antonelli in the opening laps. Despite the yoyo-like exchanges between the pair on track, Russell seemingly had control over first position, with invaluable championship points within reach. Desperate for a better result this round after an unlucky weekend in Miami, a power unit failure ultimately dashed Russell’s hopes.
With teammate Antonelli going on to win his fourth consecutive race in a row, Russell finds himself a daunting 43 points behind in the championship race. Frustration was evident moments after his car came to a halt on the track, with the Mercedes driver watching the race dejectedly from the sidelines.
“Disbelief,” Russell said following the race. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.”
Russell’s frustration not only stems from Sunday’s result, but also from the string of technical issues that have plagued him in the last few rounds.
“Three out of the last five races, there’s just been something really going against us,” he said.
“[I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”
With Antonelli completing a drama-free race following his teammate’s retirement, the teenager now has a bit more cushion in the championship title fight. The Italian now has a historic four consecutive race wins, with the first victory being his first win in F1 ever.
McLaren loses the fight before it even begins
It was an absolute nightmare for McLaren on Sunday, with a result the team will surely want to erase from their memory.
The troubles began before the lights diminished, with the team electing to strap intermediate tyres onto the McLaren challengers, despite the forecast indicating that no more rain would come.
A persistent Oscar Piastri insistently warned the team that inters would be useless in the race, but McLaren opted to take their choice to the lights.
Lando Norris was confident off the line, managing to disarm the Mercedes pair and take the race lead. Unfortunately for him, the promise of a dry track ahead forced an early trip to the pits for a tyre swap, compromising Norris’ race in the beginning stages.
Similarly, Piastri ran into the pits early for a medium tyre, but a lockup and collision with Alex Albon resulted in the Australian collecting a 10-second penalty and giving up a points finish.
Miraculously, Norris did manage to snake back into the top 10, but his race continued to unravel as a gearbox issue forced the reigning world champion to retire.
Two greats share the podium
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton willed his Ferrari to a second-place finish on Sunday, capping off a weekend where he truly looked like his old self. Also enjoying the race day conditions, four-time world champion Max Verstappen took third place on the podium. Hamilton and Verstappen battled closely over the final laps, with Hamilton ultimately getting the pass on Verstappen with a late lunge to secure second position.
Hamilton, a seven-time winner around the circuit, was more than pleased with the result.
“Amazing feeling, I am so, so happy,” he commented after the race.
“Good day, good day of racing and overall a really solid weekend. I have felt on the up all weekend, and the team have done a great job refining the car.
“And to have a good battle with Max [Verstappen] finally, I'm so, so happy. I love this job, it is the best job in the world — I never take this for granted. “
Verstappen mirrored Hamilton’s excitement about the race, particularly with their battle at the end.
“Racing back up the front is always better,” he said to the media on Sunday.
“Cool battle with Lewis [Hamilton], we kept pushing right to the line. To be on the podium is extremely positive, so happy with that.”
Colapinto extends his strong start to the season
Franco Colapinto has continued to improve, closing out the race Sunday with a sixth-place finish and second points-finish in a row. Sunday’s race result marks the Alpine driver’s best result in F1, even with car damage through the final 37 laps.
“I have confidence in the car, and I’m very pleased with the result,” Colapinto said after qualifying on Saturday.
“I think we [made every] effort to put the car where it is today, and everyone pushed so hard at the factory to be in this position and be close to scoring points, so I am very proud of everyone.”
His teammate, Pierre Gasly, has had a strong start to the season as well. Still, starting in fourteenth place following Saturday’s qualifying, many predicted that Gasly would have his work cut out for him.
The Alpine driver pushed past the odds, climbing up the grid as other cars struggled, and was able to convert to an eighth-place finish. Gasly battled late with Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson, but still managed to finish within the points along with his teammate.
With the strong performances of the Alpine pair, the team is facing a tremendously better opening to the season compared to last year, hoping to continue their positive streak in Monaco.
Lindblad out early
The sole rookie on the grid experienced heartbreak Sunday, after his car suffered from clutch issues that ended his race early.
Arvid Lindblad had been strong all weekend long, despite it being his first time racing on the circuit in an F1 car. The lack of experience didn’t seem to faze him, though, as he brilliantly placed his Racing Bull in ninth position on the grid after Saturday’s qualifying. Ahead of qualifying, the Briton had completed his first sprint race, where he claimed the final point on the table.
Unfortunately, the young driver would be forced to watch the race from the sidelines, as the halting of his car forced extra formation laps ahead of the lights out.
Looking Ahead
With Antonelli settling into a groove at the top of the championship charts, a few other drivers are beginning to come into play. McLaren may have gotten the tough end of the stick this round, but will their ability to upgrade quickly prove troublesome for Mercedes? Will Ferrari continue to push after Hamilton’s mini-win, and similarly, are Red Bull finally starting to find some pace?
We go racing again in Monaco, a circuit that leaves little to no room for error. Under the new regulations, who knows what lies in store as we head into the sixth race of the 2026 season?
Edited by Meghana Sree
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