Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

Furious Kimi Antonelli loses out to George Russell in F1 Canadian GP Sprint
Furious, Antonelli protested that Russell “pushed me off,” forcing Toto Wolff to tell him to focus on his driving and not “moaning”.
24 May 2026
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

At the start, Mercedes appeared to confirm eradication of its issues off the grid, as Russell got away brilliantly, with Antonelli fending off Norris into Turn 1. With Piastri bunched up as a result, Hamilton swooped around the outside on the exit of Turn 2 to nab fourth place from the Australian. By Lap 3, the Mercedes were around three seconds ahead of Norris, with Antonelli approximately half a megajoule up on Russell.

Antonelli was now bringing his teammate’s lead down by two tenths, and with a mistake at the hairpin, Russell gave Antonelli an inroad to attack, which he did at the final chicane. Fended off, the Italian tried once more into Turn 1, and having the inside line into 2, braked late and was forced to take to the grass.

Avoiding him upon returning to the tarmac, Russell held the lead, but the drama was not done then. Antonelli kept trying, and lost it at Turn 8, skidding onto the grass and then losing second to Norris. Furious, Antonelli protested that Russell “pushed me off,” forcing Toto Wolff to tell him to focus on his driving and not “moaning”.

“Pushed me off”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2026/...canada-sprint/


Canadian GP: Sprint Results
Full results from the Sprint Race for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.
24 May 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

Results: Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, Sprint
Pos. No. Driver Team Laps Time / Retired
1 63 George Russell Mercedes 23 28:50.951
2 1 Lando Norris McLaren 23 +1.272s
3 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 23 +1.843s
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 23 +9.797s
5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 23 +9.929s
6 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 23 +10.545s
7 3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 23 +15.935s
8 41 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 23 +29.710s
9 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine 23 +31.621s
10 55 Carlos Sainz Williams 23 +36.793s

‘Canadian Grand Prix, Sprint’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-c...-race-results/


Canadian GP: Russell wins fiery Sprint as Mercedes drivers clash
23/05/2026
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

George Russell turned pole position in Saturday's Sprint event in Montreal into a polished victory, delivering a cool, controlled drive for Mercedes despite a fiery intra-team battle in the opening laps of the race. Behind him, Kimi Antonelli looked eager to turn up the heat, but the Italian rookie quickly learned that chasing a teammate at the limit can come at a cost.

Antonelli didn’t wait long to make things interesting. On lap five, he launched himself at Russell around the outside of Turn 1, only to be firmly rebuffed as the Mercedes leader gave him absolutely nothing to work with. The result was messy: grass, dust, and a bruised sense of optimism. Unbowed, Antonelli tried again at Turn 8, braking a fraction too late and skating across the turf once more. That misstep cost him dearly, dropping him behind Norris.

His radio complaint about Russell’s defense added spice to the drama, though the replay told a more familiar story of a driver simply pushing a little too far. From there, Antonelli regrouped and began reeling Norris back in, while briefly fending off Hamilton in a growing midfield skirmish. On the final lap, he went for one last, ambitious lunge around the outside of Turn 1 – but Norris kept his cool and shut the door. The podium stayed frozen: Russell, Norris, Antonelli.

‘Russell wins fiery Sprint as Mercedes drivers’;

https://f1i.com/news/564864-canadian...ers-clash.html


George Russell wins F1 Canadian GP sprint as Mercedes fight has first flashpoint
George Russell wins the Canadian Grand Prix sprint after clashing with Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
23/05/2026
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

For the first time this season, the Mercedes pair made contact as Russell and Antonelli duelled for the lead during the early stages of the first-ever sprint race to be held in Montreal. Antonelli was forced to take to the grass after trying to go around the outside of Russell at Turn 1 on the sixth lap after the pair made light contact.

The skirmish continued at the Turn 8/9 chicane, with Antonelli once again taking to the grass after locking up as he unsuccessfully attempted to pass Russell with a dive down the inside. Antonelli lost momentum as he recovered onto the track and lost a position to McLaren’s Lando Norris, before complaining on several occasions that Russell had not played fair in his defence.

“That was very naughty,” the Italian teenager bemoaned, before adding “that should be a penalty, I was alongside the mirror.” Antonelli’s repeated radio complaints led to an intervention from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who told his driver to “concentrate on the driving, not the radio moaning”.

“That was very naughty”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/109592...rst-flashpoint


George Russell expresses relief after controversial Kimi Antonelli fight
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli briefly shook hands after their fraught battle during the sprint in Montreal.
23 May 2026
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

The Mercedes pair started the 24-lap race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve alongside each other on the front row, with the Briton holding onto the lead from pole. However, a few laps in, Antonelli launched an audacious move around the outside of the sister W17 into Turn 1. Russell appeared to push him wide, and the Italian was furious with what he perceived to be forced onto the grass.

The 19-year-old immediately took to team radio, calling for his team-mate to be punished for the "naughty" move. Later on the same lap, an error saw Antonelli cut across the grass again, this time losing his second place to Lando Norris, but his complaints would not end there, with team principal Toto Wolff having to tell his driver to focus on the race.

When asked for his take on the incident, Russell chose not to address it head-on, instead sharing his relief that they ultimately avoided coming to blows. "Yeah, it was a cool race," the 28-year-old said after the sprint in Montreal. "I was just talking with Lando, it's definitely very difficult to get a gap around here, and it felt quite easy to follow; the slipstream was quite, quite powerful with the overtake mode.”

‘Russell chose not to address it head-on’;

https://racingnews365.com/george-rus...ntonelli-fight


Russell resists Antonelli in Canadian GP F1 sprint race
23/05/2026
Montreal (AFP)
France 24

Pre-season title favourite George Russell delivered a consummate lights-to-flag drive to win Saturday's sprint race at the Canadian Grand Prix and trim his angry team-mate Kimi Antonelli's championship lead. The incident came on lap six when Antonelli, 19, tried a move around the outside of Turn One, but Russell defended stoutly forcing the Italian to run off with a muscular defence of his leading position.

"That was very naughty," said Antonelli, who accused Russell of pushing him off. "That should be a penalty. I was alongside the mirror." His experienced race engineer Peter Bonnington told him to calm down and concentrate, but Antonelli was still fuming after the race.

"If we race like that, it is good to know," said the teenager before Wolff told him: "Kimi, we don't talk about this on the radio –- we do it internally. l need to review on that because I was quite well alongside him at turn one," said Antonelli. "But it was a good battle."

"If we race like that, it is good to know";

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...f1-sprint-race

[Fortitude]

Russell steals Canadian GP pole from Antonelli.
Kimi Antonelli initially appearing set to secure his fourth straight pole. Russell had other ideas, snatching top spot from his young teammate with a 1m12.578s to edge Antonelli by just 0.068s.
24 May 2026
Ben Waterworth
Speedcafe

George Russell claimed his third consecutive pole position at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a stunning late lap to deny teammate Kimi Antonelli at the Canadian Grand Prix. Lando Norris jumped to provisional pole midway through Q3, going two tenths quicker than Piastri, who had himself laid down a strong banker lap moments earlier.

Hamilton then split the McLarens to move provisionally onto the front row, while Antonelli could only manage fourth and Russell brushed the wall on his banker lap, leaving him bottom of the timesheets with five minutes remaining. But Mercedes’ pace proved untouchable in the closing stages as the Silver Arrows locked out the front row once again.

‘Russell had other ideas’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2026-c...imi-antonelli/


F1 Canadian GP 2026 qualifying results
23 May 2026
THE RACE TEAM
The Race

George Russell saw off Mercedes team-mate and Formula 1 title rival Kimi Antonelli in a nail-biting qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix.
1 George Russell
2 Kimi Antonelli, +0.068s
3 Lando Norris, +0.151s
4 Oscar Piastri, +0.203s
5 Lewis Hamilton, +0.290s
6 Max Verstappen, +0.329s
7 Isack Hadjar, +0.357s
8 Charles Leclerc, +0.398s
9 Arvid Lindblad, +0.702s
10 Franco Colapinto, +1.110s

‘Qualifying results’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f...fying-results/


RUSSELL DENIES MERCEDES RIVAL ANTONELLI POLE POSITION FOR CANADIAN GRAND PRIX WITH LAST-GASP EFFORT
Mercedes locked out the front row for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, with George Russell leading Kimi Antonelli.
May 23, 2026
Formula One - Official Site

George Russell beat Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli and McLaren's Lando Norris to pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix with a last-gasp effort. Russell, who had won the Sprint in Montreal earlier on Saturday, posted a 1m 12.578s with his final effort to finish just 0.068s clear of Antonelli as Mercedes locked out the front row for Sunday's 70-lap race.

The Briton had been on the back foot in the final segment of Qualifying having aborted his first flying lap and he was down the order with his first completed run. But Russell pulled out the fastest lap at the very end as the Mercedes duo beat Norris and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton suffering a mistake on his second run that left him P5.

‘Mercedes locked out the front row’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...JKlwMzExUu9twT


Russell denies Antonelli Canadian GP pole
23 May 2026
SAMARTH KANAL
The Race

George Russell took pole position for Formula 1's 2026 Canadian Grand Prix and denied Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli a fourth-straight pole by 0.068s. The pair ignited their rivalry with a fierce battle in the sprint race earlier on Saturday. Russell aborted his first Q3 lap and his first proper lap, with 2m30s remaining, put him a provisional third.

A last-gasp salvo secured his third consecutive pole in Montreal, while Antonelli ensured a front-row lockout for Mercedes. McLaren locked out the second row with Lando Norris third - having held provisional pole before the Mercedes improved - and Oscar Piastri improving to fourth, just 0.05s behind. A trip through the grass cost Lewis Hamilton but he still managed fifth for Ferrari, three-tenths off pole.

His team-mate Charles Leclerc only narrowly avoided a Q2 elimination as he complained of a lack of clean air then could only manage eighth in Q3. Max Verstappen avoided being outqualified by Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar but struggled to sixth, while Hadjar was just 0.03s behind in seventh. Verstappen had previously remarked in Q2 that it was like “driving on ice” as he grappled with getting the tyres into their operating window.

‘Russell denies Antonelli’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/r...adian-gp-pole/


Russell storms to Canadian GP pole with stunning lap in Montreal
23 May 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

Qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix has just come to an end, setting the grid for tomorrow’s race and seeing George Russell come out on top. Here is everything that happened and the full results. The opening runs saw Lando Norris move into provisional pole with an impressive 1:12.729, with the reigning world champion finishing ahead of fellow Briton Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and Antonelli. Russell continued to struggle, opting to abort his lap and return to the pits instead of completing the run.

On the final runs, Russell initially improved to third place before being pushed down by Antonelli, who snatched provisional pole by just three thousandths of a second over Norris. Norris then crossed the line on his final attempt but remained second, with Oscar Piastri in third. Russell still had time for one final push and ultimately delivered in the closing moments, snatching pole position away from Antonelli at the very end, while Max Verstappen could manage only sixth. Pole went to Russell with a stunning 1:12.578.

‘Russell storms to Canadian GP pole’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/breaking-n...ap-in-montreal

[Fortitude]

F1 - 2026 Canadian Grand Prix post-Sprint press conference transcript.
F1’s first ever Sprint race in Montreal, Canada. What a race, guys. I’m joined here by the top three: George RUSSELL, Lando NORRIS, Kimi ANTONELLI.
23 May 2026
FIA (Press Release)

TRACK INTERVIEW (Conducted by Jolyon Palmer) Q: Very well done, George. A great result for you. Quite a lot to unpick from that one. Can we start with the battle with your team-mate? Talk us through lap six from your point of view.
GR: Yeah, it was just a good, hard battle and obviously I defended into Turn 1 and you never get overtaken around the outside of that corner, and so I knew it was, kind of, pretty safe. But kudos to Kimi for giving it a go and I respect that and obviously came out unscathed. And then went into Turn 8. This track is very dirty as well offline. We’ve seen it all weekend, so I was quite nervous to defend too tightly into Turn 8 because I knew that there was a chance of locking up if I went there. And that was about it really. So glad that we’re both sat here now. It could have been something different, but it wasn’t, and that’s how racing should be.

TRACK INTERVIEW (Conducted by Jolyon Palmer) Q: Lando, second place. You managed to be the interloper at this Mercedes party. You must be pretty pleased with that because the pace looked really good.
Lando NORRIS: Yeah, thanks. It was a good race. I mean, it was good just to watch them go at it for a little while. But of course, we were there to pick up the pieces when things happened. And they were quick. I mean, Kimi caught me back up pretty quickly and then I was pretty worried from behind, but also I wanted to try and attack George ahead. It was fun, always a tough track to kind of push on and easy to make mistakes. But today was a good result for us.

Q: (Jon Noble – The Race) To Kimi, on the radio afterwards you said, “If we need to race like this, good to know.” Has today changed perceptions on how you go racing with George? And George, are you surprised? Is there anything unusual in how you battled today?
KA: We do meetings before races and that’s what we say in the room. Then, of course, we race to win and we try to do our best to defend our position. So of course, probably, I understood the significance of that meeting a bit differently. But just obviously I need to recheck. Emotions were very high in the moment and obviously I was very annoyed, but I just need to recheck and for sure we’re going to talk about it and we’re going to clarify on that.

‘Sprint Press Conference’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2026-can...nce-transcript


'We’re not in kindergarten'- Russell cools Antonelli tensions after Canada GP clash
24 May 2026
Henry Eccles
GPblog.com

Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have revealed what was discussed within the team after their Canada GP Sprint battle. Russell and Antonelli finished P1 and P3 respectively in the Sprint, but not before a tense battle that saw Antonelli twice off the track in Montreal.

Speaking after Qualifying, Russell and Antonelli revealed what was said within the team in the hour between Saturday's two sessions, clarifying that their bond remains strong and that the scrap won't affect their respect for each other going forward. Antonelli said: "We had a discussion and we clarified and now it's all good. So we've reviewed, we had a chat with Toto [Wolff] and it's all good now."

Russell was quick to back his teammate up, adding: "Yes, as Kimi said, all good, had a good discussion and we know what we need to do and how we're going to race each other and nothing's going to change because we've always had that respect for one another. We're not going to wave anybody by, it doesn't matter if it's a competitor or a teammate. Of course, we know the number one rule is never to crash with your teammate. That isn't what happened this morning and we finished first and third. And that's what we'll continue to try and do."

"Yes, as Kimi said, all good”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/were-...anada-gp-clash


Mercedes harmony shatters as Max Verstappen makes alarming admission - RacingNews365 Review
24 May 2026
RN365 Staff
RacingNews365

Kimi Antonelli has called for George Russell to be handed a penalty in the sprint at the Canadian Grand Prix after the Italian deemed his team-mate had pushed him off track.
Read more: Kimi Antonelli demands George Russell penalty as Mercedes rivalry begins

Max Verstappen claims F1 'mentally not doable' if sport fails to change. Max Verstappen has issued a fresh warning over his short-term F1 future, insisting it is “mentally not doable” to continue competing under the current regulations if meaningful changes are not made to the cars.
Read more: Max Verstappen claims F1 'mentally not doable' if sport fails to change

George Russell confirms Kimi Antonelli talks after Mercedes tensions flare. George Russell has said he will have a conversation with Kimi Antonelli after the Mercedes drivers almost came to blows during the sprint at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Read more: George Russell confirms Kimi Antonelli talks after Mercedes tensions flare

‘Mercedes harmony shatters’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-h...news365-review


George Russell fires warning to Kimi Antonelli after tense Canadian GP Sprint clash: ‘I’m not just going to wave anybody by’
23 May 2026
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

After the race, instead of issuing an apology, Russell opted to double down as he defends his controversial racing against Antonelli at Canadian GP Sprint Race – and hints that his teammate should expect more of it in the future. “In years gone by it has been discussed that you race each other hard but fair,” Russell told Sky Sports F1. “And from my side there is never ill intentions towards anything.

“On the same note, I am not just going to wave anybody by. We are both fighting for our championship. It is always team first and we will talk about it afterwards. I have the peace of mind that it wasn’t investigated. If the FIA think it’s fine, that’s enough.”

‘No waving’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/geo...-sprint-clash/


'I really feel like myself' – Hamilton finds positives with Ferrari
23 May 2026
Formula One - Official Site

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton feels encouraged with changes made to his engineering team, expressing "I really feel like myself" ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. The seven-time World Champion is enjoying one of his strongest weekends of the 2026 season so far in Montreal, qualifying P5 for both Saturday's Sprint and Sunday's Grand Prix – out-qualifying team mate Charles Leclerc each time.

"Honestly, for me, my engineering team is now just where I need it and we've finally got the car this weekend in a place where I really feel like myself, and I really hope that continues," said Hamilton after Qualifying in Montreal. "I don't need to change up my team, we just need to keep on working and do what works for me. I'll prepare the same for the next race and hopefully we'll be a bit better next race."

"I was feeling great up until the last lap. Basically, I did a good prep, I came out of the last corner to start the lap and didn't get the SM [Straight Mode] on and by the time I realised into Turn 1, I was down two tenths," said Hamilton. "I caught some of it back but then had that wide moment. When you're pushing and trying to get everything out it can be on the knife-edge. But the car was feeling good and the team did a really great job, so I hope tomorrow when the weather is better, when it's raining, hopefully we have a good chance."

“I really feel like myself”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ulu1aglSVZeovD


Hamilton pinning hopes on rain ahead of Canadian GP: 'I'm hoping it is'
24 MAY 2026
Tobia Elia
GPblog.com

“It felt great, we made some good changes in qualifying. I was hopeful for a better result but didn't get my last lap. The car was feeling like we were improving and I think honestly if I got that last lap I probably could have been a bit better.” Asked which areas of the car now allow him to feel more confident when pushing, the Briton added: “It's brakes, it's corner entry stability, and just with the setup that I've migrated to, I'm much, much happier to attack the car.”

Asked about tomorrow’s race, with rain potentially set to play a major role, Hamilton admitted he's hopeful the wet conditions could help Ferrari close the gap to the cars ahead and potentially give the Scuderia a better opportunity to fight at the front: “I'm hoping it is. I hope that levels us out to the guys ahead and maybe gives us a bit of a chance to fight with them.”

“Ultimately the wet tyres aren't spectacular in terms of the way that they've moved to having no blankets, to having low blanket temperatures, and then ultimately they had to build a tyre that worked with those low blankets and the tyres didn't work. So we're constantly battling the tyres that don't work. From my test, I've pushed them to raise the blankets. If I had to raise the blankets, they did it. From the test, I've pushed them to add the blankets onto the extreme tyres, which they have. But that's still not enough. There's still a lot of it.”

“I'm hoping it is”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/hamil...m-hoping-it-is