From the return of the best Russell to Red Bull’s limits without Verstappen: here’s what the Canadian Grand Prix taught us.
Russell’s dominance should scare his rivals
We saw it during his first win in Brazil in 2022, then again in Las Vegas 2024, and it returned yesterday: when George Russell starts from the front—barring issues beyond his control—no rival can match him. As the years go by, his mistakes are also becoming fewer: the incidents that cost him podiums in Canada or Singapore a couple of years ago no longer happen.
Lewis Hamilton’s departure at the end of 2024 has “forced” him to step up as team leader, but Russell has embraced the responsibility and is honoring his role in the best possible way. With a championship-worthy car, number 63 can be a serious threat to anyone.
Without Verstappen, Red Bull is lost
If we erased the points scored by Max Verstappen and doubled those of the second driver (Liam Lawson first, then Yuki Tsunoda), Red Bull would be second-to-last in the Constructors’ standings with just 14 points. As the races go by, it becomes increasingly clear how exceptional and hard to replicate the work of the reigning world champion has been over the past twelve months. Even in his first weekend with the same car as his teammate, Tsunoda failed to make it into Q3 (lapping half a second slower than Verstappen) and didn’t score any points, unable to pass Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz, who were on the same strategy.
Antonelli isn’t your average 18-year-old
Looking older than your age isn’t always a good thing—but in this case, it highlights just how far Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes season is from a typical rookie campaign. The 2006-born driver from Bologna earned his first Formula 1 podium with authority, making the most of what was clearly the fastest car in Montreal, while showing remarkable maturity and composure in overtaking Oscar Piastri on the first lap and holding off both McLarens in the closing stages.
After just 10 races in his career, the young Italian talent already has a podium to his name and has become the third-youngest driver ever to finish in the top 3, behind Verstappen and Stroll. The future looks bright.
The gap between Norris and the world championship is the close battle
It’s well known since his 2019 debut that Lando Norris has always been consistent, and his speed in qualifying (despite some mistakes) is equally recognized. However, in Canada, the McLaren driver once again showed his weaknesses in close battles, which led him to rear-end teammate Piastri and lose 10 valuable points in the championship fight.
This factor could prove decisive for the title: Norris came out bruised from several battles with Verstappen last season (see Austria and Austin), while Piastri has consistently shown cool-headedness in duels with his rivals, like his moves on Hamilton in Australia and Jeddah, which earned him the “Overtake of the Month” awards in March and April.
The “new” Aston Martin is the best of the rest (and Alonso is starting to enjoy it)
After one of his worst season starts ever, with zero points in the first eight races, Fernando Alonso has scored points for the second race in a row. The upgrade package introduced in Imola has quickly proven effective in qualifying as well, with the Asturian securing three starts in the top six over the last four races.
Thanks to the upgrades, Aston Martin established itself as the fifth fastest team in the championship in Canada, the best behind the “big 4,” even surpassing concerns that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve might expose the AMR25’s lack of aerodynamic efficiency. This success also shows off the track: Alonso has started smiling again in interviews and can’t wait to get his hands on the 2026 car, the first Newey creation he’ll finally get to use in his career.
Ocon’s tyre management can no longer go unnoticed
Unlike Leclerc and Ferrari, Ocon and Sainz managed to reach the points zone with just one stop, starting 14th and 16th respectively. The Haas driver, in particular, delivered yet another outstanding performance in tyre management, although (as often happens) it flew under the radar. Portugal 2020, Turkey 2021, Jeddah 2025, and now Canada: the Frenchman continues to prove himself as one of the best drivers on the grid in this area, and it’s time his skill gets the recognition it deserves.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team , Oracle Red Bull Racing on X, McLaren, Aston Martin F1, Haas F1 Team