Amarenalytics Talks F1 - 2026 Canadian Grand Prix
Let's review the fifth race of the season, the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix.
🏆 Antonelli Wins in Montreal as Mercedes Tighten Their Championship Grip
Kimi Antonelli delivered another commanding performance at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, taking victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second and Max Verstappen in third. Hamilton's result was Ferrari's highlight of the weekend, while Verstappen's podium was a timely reminder of what Red Bull can still produce on their day.
The race was messy behind the top three. George Russell had won the Sprint earlier in the weekend but retired from the main event, joining Lando Norris, Alexander Albon, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez on the DNF list. Arvid Lindblad did not make the start at all. Six drivers failing to finish gave the race a chaotic edge, though Antonelli was entirely untroubled by it.
Mercedes lead the Constructors' Championship on 219 points, clear of Ferrari in second with 147 points. McLaren are third on 106 points and Red Bull Racing a distant fourth on 57 points.
In the Drivers' standings, Antonelli leads on 131 points. Russell holds second with 88 points and Leclerc is third on 75 points. Hamilton is fourth with 72 points and Norris fifth on 58 points. The gap between Antonelli and the rest is now significant and growing.
👏 The Good
Kimi ANTONELLI (Winner, P1) Kimi takes another victory in Montreal. The Italian is turning this championship into a procession and nobody has found an answer for him yet.
Lewis HAMILTON (P2, 18 pts) A superb result for Lewis in Canada. Ferrari needed a strong showing from their experienced head and Hamilton delivered exactly that.
Max VERSTAPPEN (P3, 15 pts) Max climbs onto the podium and reminds everyone Red Bull are not completely out of the picture. A composed drive from the four-time champion on a circuit he has owned in previous years.
Isack HADJAR (P5, 10 pts) A brilliant result for Isack. Ten points for Red Bull's junior team shows the young Frenchman has both the pace and the composure to deliver on a big stage.
Franco COLAPINTO (P6, 8 pts) Franco keeps racking up the points. Montreal suits his aggressive style and Alpine will take this result without hesitation.
Liam LAWSON (P7, 6 pts) Liam continues to chip away quietly. Consistent, composed, and always in the mix when it matters.
Pierre GASLY (P8, 4 pts) Pierre delivers again for Alpine. Two cars in the points is a strong team result and keeps Alpine's midfield fight very much alive.
Carlos SAINZ (P9, 2 pts) Carlos edges into the points with P9. Every single point matters for Williams at this stage of the season.
Oliver BEARMAN (P10, 1 pt) Ollie grabs the final championship point for Haas. After what happened in the Sprint, salvaging P10 in the race shows real resilience from the young Brit.
🤔 The Unremarkable
Charles LECLERC (P4, 12 pts) Charles misses the podium and Ferrari will feel it. With Hamilton in P2, Leclerc needed to be fighting for the top three, not watching it disappear up the road.
Oscar PIASTRI (P11, 0 pts) Oscar drops out of the points after a decent Sprint showing. McLaren needed more from their second car this weekend and did not get it.
Gabriel BORTOLETO (P12, 0 pts) Two Audi cars, zero race points in Canada. The weekend offered nothing for the German manufacturer and the constructors fight remains a very distant prospect.
Nico HULKENBERG (P13, 0 pts) Nico got through the race cleanly but without any reward. Audi's senior driver is still searching for that breakthrough result in 2026.
Esteban OCON (P14, 0 pts) Esteban was sharp in the Sprint but the main race came and went without a meaningful moment. Alpine need both cars scoring consistently to maintain their midfield position.
Lance STROLL (P15, 0 pts) Lance completes another anonymous afternoon for Aston Martin. No points, no narrative. The team are still waiting for 2026 to start.
Valtteri BOTTAS (P16, 0 pts) Valtteri crosses the line but offers nothing to write home about. Another blank for Cadillac's second car.
😬 The Ugly
Lando NORRIS (DNF) Lando had just finished Sprint P2 and looked set for a strong race. The retirement hurts badly in the championship context. The gap to Antonelli keeps growing and McLaren are running out of weekends to respond.
George RUSSELL (DNF) George won the Sprint, then lost the race to a retirement. Eight points from the Sprint and nothing from the main event sums up a bittersweet Canadian weekend for the Brit. Mercedes will be relieved that Antonelli was nowhere near the same trouble.
Fernando ALONSO (DNF) Fernando retires again and Aston Martin's 2026 season continues to be a painful watch. The two-time world champion deserves better machinery than this.
Alexander ALBON (DNF) Williams showed genuine pace through Sainz this weekend but Alexander's retirement left points on the table. A frustrating end to what had been a promising race for the Grove outfit.
Arvid LINDBLAD (DNS) Arvid does not make it to the grid. A DNS is as bad as it gets for a driver trying to establish himself and Racing Bulls will want answers before the next race.
Episode 6 will cover the Monaco Grand Prix 🏁 🏎️
Credits:
Omni and Hawkfry Group for providing the business intelligence platform.
OpenF1 (openf1.org) team for creating and maintaining an awesome open source API.
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