Antonelli also promoted in Canada. Hamilton second after one and a half years

Russell's retirement opened the middle phase of the race. Virtual safety cars, pit-stop windows, debris and technical troubles pieced together the classification. Alonso had already stopped, Perez retired later, Norris parked the McLaren with a mechanical problem after a Sunday that started badly and continued worse. Albon dropped out of the picture after contact with Piastri. A total of six retirements. In the midst of all this Leclerc did what he could: he overtook Hadjar, climbed up to fourth place, but never really engaged in the fight for the podium. A 'wide' slip at the end closed any remaining chance of catching up to Hamilton and Verstappen, but the gap had never seemed easily bridged even before.

The best part, for the public, was given by Hamilton himself. Not surprisingly, he was voted driver of the day. Again, this has not happened since 2024, his last year with the three-pointed steppe. In Montreal he has won seven times (eleven on the podium, better than him only Michael Schumacher at twelve) and knows trajectories, braking and traps better than almost anyone. For many laps he remained in the useful zone, without forcing it any further than necessary. Then he began to close the gap on Verstappen and on lap sixty-two he completed his overtaking move under braking, taking a weighty second place for Ferrari and for his season. It was not a victory, but it had been a long time since we had seen such a solid Hamilton in the final melee.

Verstappen resisted, then had to concede. Third place, in other years, would almost have been a defeat; instead, it counts as the first podium of the season and as a minimum signal of reopening for a Red Bull still far from the dominant machine it had been until 2024 and, all things considered, even in the final 2025. Further back, after a Leclerc in chiaroscuro, but still at full throttle, the standings rewarded Hadjar, Colapinto, Lawson, Gasly, Sainz and Bearman: useful points, on a Sunday in which arriving at the finish line without mistakes was already a selection. But a bad sign: all lapped from sixth onwards, including one lap from sixth to tenth but even two and four laps for the others, is not a good sign of health and performance balance between the various teams.

Antonelli, in a state of grace and at the same time at the wheel of the best car, thus rises to four Formula 1 victories: one less than Nino Farina and Michele Alboreto in the special ranking of the most successful Italians ever. The historical comparison remains delicate, because Farina built up those numbers in just two seasons, where three victories in 1950 were enough for the first world championship: there were, however, far fewer grands prix and an absolutely incomparable technical, sporting and financial context. But the sporting fact alone is enough. At the age of 19, Antonelli won a dirty, broken race that was difficult to hold. He did not win it in the cleanest way, because Russell stopped when he was still fully in the game. And he admitted it at the end of the game: 'I didn't want to win like that'. However, he ended it without giving anything away, while all around him many others were losing pieces, time or lucidity.

Mercedes therefore leaves the Canadian test behind with another victory and a problem not to be underestimated. The pace is there, the package works, but Russell was on the sidelines, furious (and 43 points behind, whereas after Hamilton's 'departure' he had hoped to have almost a free field and become the first driver), and McLaren threw away a race that could at least have brought it closer to the podium. Ferrari brings home points and a solid Sunday, without yet being able to say they are on a par: they are 41 points behind the reigning world champions Papaya in the constructors' standings, but the gap to the Silver Arrows is already 72 points after five completed races.