Kimi Antonelli has claimed his fifth consecutive Grand Prix victory at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, inheriting the lead after Mercedes teammate George Russell retired with a power unit issue on lap 29. Lewis Hamilton took second for Ferrari, his best result since joining the Scuderia, while Max Verstappen secured his first podium of the 2026 season.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve delivered one of the most dramatic races of the 2026 season. George Russell had dominated the weekend, taking sprint victory on Saturday and leading the Grand Prix comfortably before his Mercedes power unit let go on lap 29, handing the lead to Antonelli.

From there, Antonelli controlled the race with authority, building a gap of over 10 seconds to Hamilton. The Ferrari driver produced a brilliant late overtake on Verstappen to claim second, while the Red Bull driver secured his first podium finish of the new regulations era.

The race was marked by high attrition, with only 16 of the 22 starters seeing the chequered flag. Lando Norris retired from a strong position after a mechanical failure, while Sergio Perez was forced out with a suspension issue. Arvid Lindblad did not start due to a mechanical problem discovered on the formation lap.

Antonelli's fifth consecutive victory extends his championship lead to a commanding 43 points over Russell. The Italian now has 131 points to Russell's 88, with Charles Leclerc third on 75 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes lead Ferrari by 72 points (219 to 147), with McLaren third on 106.

"Five wins in a row at 20 years old. We are witnessing something truly special. Antonelli isn't just winning races, he's dominating them. Even when he inherits the lead, he pulls away with ease. This kid is the real deal."

— Martin Brundle, Sky Sports F1

"Russell's retirement is a massive blow to his title hopes. A 43-point deficit after just five races is significant. He needs Antonelli to have a bad weekend, and right now that doesn't look like happening."

— Karun Chandhok, Sky Sports F1