McLaren’s Canadian Crash Drama Hands Mercedes First Win of 2025 F1 Season

The 2025 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix (Canadian GP) delivered a jaw-dropping twist as McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided, dashing Norris’ podium hopes and gifting George Russell and Mercedes their first win of the season. And rookie Kimi Antonelli finds himself on the podium.

With just three laps to go, a tense intra-team duel at McLaren spiraled into catastrophe. Lando Norris, charging hard after an aggressive two-stop strategy, clipped Oscar Piastri while attempting a bold move on the pit straight. The McLaren drivers’ crash ripped off Lando Norris’ front wing and sent him hurtling into the pit wall, ending his race instantly. Piastri, unscathed but shaken, managed to finish fourth, extending his championship lead to 22 points over Norris.

The dramatic late incident prompted a safety car finish, sealing the top three order: George Russell took the chequered flag for Mercedes, Max Verstappen brought his Red Bull home in second, and rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli secured a stunning third in just his eighth Grand Prix.

Norris vs Piastri: Tension Boils Over

The tension between the McLaren drivers had been simmering all weekend. Lando Norris, who had a rough qualifying and started seventh, executed a smart long first stint to climb up the grid. But as the race neared its conclusion, he found himself locked in a high-stakes battle with Piastri, who had muscled into third early on.

Lando Norris made his first move into the hairpin, briefly passing Oscar Piastri before the Australian regained the position using DRS. On the next straight, Lando Norris attempted to reclaim the place through a narrowing gap—but miscalculated. The resulting crash not only ended Lando Norris’s race but also raised serious questions about team dynamics and the strain between McLaren drivers.

“This one’s on me,” Norris later said in a brief team statement. “I went for it, but it wasn’t the smartest move. Sorry to the team.”

 

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Oscar Piastri, who now leads the F1 Drivers’ Championship, was measured: “It’s unfortunate to see a teammate out, but I had to race my own race. We’ll debrief and move forward.”

Mercedes Back on Top — Finally

For George Russell, the victory was sweet vindication. After holding off Max Verstappen lap after lap with ice-cold consistency, the Brit finally broke Mercedes’ 2025 winless streak. Behind him, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli delivered the drive of his life to grab third, proving he’s more than just a rookie hype train.

Ferrari salvaged solid points with Charles Leclerc finishing fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth, despite damage that left him in no-man’s land for most of the race.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finished seventh, while strategic brilliance helped Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, and Carlos Sainz round out the top ten.