ANTONELLI WINS AGAIN IN CANADA AHEAD OF HAMILTON AND VERSTAPPEN, RUSSELL RETIRES

Kimi Antonelli claimed yet another victory, securing his fourth consecutive win after another outstanding performance. The Bologna-born driver continues his remarkable run of form and is increasingly establishing himself as the leading figure of the championship. It was a frustrating race, however, for George Russell, who was forced to retire with a technical issue while leading the race and battling Antonelli for victory. Lewis Hamilton also delivered an excellent performance, engaging in a thrilling fight with Max Verstappen and securing his second podium for Ferrari after a strong and hard-fought race. It was instead a hugely difficult weekend for McLaren. A strategic error completely ruined the British team’s race, leading to the retirement of Lando Norris, while Oscar Piastri was left attempting a difficult recovery drive far from the leading positions. A disappointing day also for Charles Leclerc, who could manage only eighth place after receiving a twenty-second penalty that severely compromised his final result. Finally, special mention must go to Franco Colapinto, who produced an excellent drive to finish in a superb fifth place.

DAG’S RATING
This Grand Prix was far more entertaining than the previous rounds, largely thanks to the battle between Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. The circuit did not particularly favour overtaking, yet the pair still produced an intense duel that could easily have had a different outcome had the British driver not suffered a technical failure.
There were also positive performances from Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, with the Ferrari driver producing a superb overtake on the Dutchman. McLaren, however, endured a complete disaster, heavily penalised by an entirely incorrect strategy call.

MERCEDES – 9
The Brackley-based team continues to dominate, despite not delivering a flawless weekend and failing to bring both cars to the finish. Kimi Antonelli was almost faultless and also benefited from a little fortune at key moments: 9/10.
George Russell earns an 8/10. The retirement was certainly not his fault, but under maximum pressure he did not appear entirely composed and made a few small mistakes. The upgrade package introduced in Canada appears to have returned Mercedes to the front of the field.

FERRARI – 8
Ferrari has made significant progress. In Canada, the Scuderia confirmed itself as the second strongest team in the championship, thanks largely to a superbly in-form Lewis Hamilton, whose brilliant overtake earns him a 9/10.
A more subdued race instead for Charles Leclerc, who never truly looked competitive and often struggled for pace. Nevertheless, the Monegasque driver still did enough for a satisfactory performance.

RED BULL – 9
The Anglo-Austrian team appears to have taken an important step forward, returning consistently to the podium positions. Max Verstappen drove brilliantly to secure third place: 9/10.
A strong performance also from Isack Hadjar, awarded a 7/10, finally demonstrating that Red Bull may now be able to rely on a competitive second driver as well.

McLAREN – 5
A disastrous weekend for McLaren. The team completely misjudged the strategy by opting for intermediate tyres at the start of the race.
The drivers were unable to recover the situation, although Lando Norris carries relatively little blame and deserves a 7/10, helped by an excellent start. Much more disappointing was Oscar Piastri’s race, earning a 5/10 after a costly mistake that also compromised Alexander Albon’s race.

ALPINE – 7
A superb race for the French team, which appears to be making clear progress. Pierre Gasly receives a 6.5/10 after a solid race that was nonetheless affected by an underwhelming qualifying performance.
Franco Colapinto, meanwhile, delivered an outstanding drive worthy of a 7.5/10, once again confirming himself as the stronger driver of the pairing. The recent event in Argentina appears to have given him greater confidence and belief.

HAAS – 7
The American team returned to the points thanks to Oliver Bearman, who earns a 7/10.
Esteban Ocon, however, was comfortably below standard after a very disappointing weekend well below the level expected in Formula 1. Haas should perhaps begin seriously considering introducing a younger rookie driver with greater motivation.

WILLIAMS – 6
Important points also for Williams. Carlos Sainz Jr. finished in the points, benefiting in part from McLaren’s disastrous weekend: 7/10.
Alexander Albon, on the other hand, was unfortunate to become involved in the incident with Piastri and receives a 5/10. Qualifying was not ideal for the team, which showed several weaknesses throughout the weekend.

RACING BULLS – 7
Following Arvid Lindblad’s impressive qualifying performance, worthy of a 6/10, the Faenza-based team further confirmed its progress.
A technical problem unfortunately prevented the rookie from fighting for stronger positions. Liam Lawson instead brought home valuable points after producing a highly consistent race across all 68 laps, earning the New Zealander a 7/10.

CADILLAC – 5.5
Cadillac appears to be making slight progress, although major doubts remain regarding the driver line-up.
Valtteri Bottas, rated 5/10, once again finished near the back without showing any particularly encouraging signs. Sergio Pérez receives a 6/10, attempting to make an impact before a technical problem forced him into retirement.

AUDI – 6-
Audi remains one of the teams struggling the most on the grid and appears to be improving less than its rivals.
Gabriel Bortoleto gave everything despite narrowly missing out on the points, earning a 6/10 for a committed drive in an uncompetitive car. Nico Hülkenberg, meanwhile, endured a weekend similar to Ocon’s and well below expectations, resulting in a 5/10.

ASTON MARTIN – 4
At the back of the field sits Aston Martin, which continues to suffer through difficult weekends and repeated mistakes.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, both rated 5/10, attempted to extract more from the package, but with such an uncompetitive car the task remains extremely difficult.
The car appears to suffer from major structural issues, further compounded by engine-related problems. Numerous strategic mistakes also arrived this weekend from the team. Perhaps the focus should already begin shifting towards 2027.

Author: Gabriele Bovio