Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli continued his remarkable start to the Formula 1 season by winning the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, marking his fourth consecutive victory of the year.

The 19-year-old Italian benefited after teammate George Russell, who had been battling intensely for the lead, retired because of an engine failure during the race.

The two Mercedes drivers exchanged positions multiple times over more than 30 laps in one of the most exciting contests of the season, coming close to contact on several occasions.Antonelli eventually gained a clear advantage after Russell’s mechanical issue ended the Briton’s race in frustration.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished second after overtaking Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the closing laps, giving Hamilton his best result since joining Ferrari.Verstappen secured third place and his first podium finish of the season.With this victory, Antonelli extended his lead in the championship standings to 43 points over Russell after five races.Russell had won the opening race in Australia, but Antonelli has since taken victories in China, Japan, Miami and now Canada.The race featured changing track conditions and several strategic challenges.

McLaren struggled, with Lando Norris retiring because of a gearbox problem and Oscar Piastri finishing outside the top ten after an unsuccessful tyre strategy.Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, while Isack Hadjar, Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson also scored points.

The rivalry between Antonelli and Russell had already intensified during the sprint race weekend, where the pair made contact and exchanged tense moments over team radio.

Despite the fierce competition, Antonelli described the duel with Russell as enjoyable and praised the close racing before the engine failure decided the outcome.