Mercedes teen star Kimi Antonelli wins the Canadian Grix Prix for his fourth straight F1 victory
by The Canadian Press · CityNewsFormula One leader Kimi Antonelli charged to victory in a wild Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming his fourth-straight race win after teammate George Russell exited due to engine failure.
The title-chasing Mercedes drivers put on a show in a thrilling battle through 30 laps, trading the lead several times and coming dangerously close to making contact, until disaster struck for Russell.
The 28-year-old Brit threw his headrest across the track and slammed his fists into the front of the car before leaving the circuit, whipping his gloves to the ground in rage.
That gave Antonelli a clear path to victory ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who overtook Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for second with six laps to go under cold and windy conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
A 19-year-old Italian sensation, Antonelli joined Fernando Alonso, Hamilton and Verstappen as the only active drivers to win four consecutive races.
He opened up a 43-point lead over Russell in the drivers’ standings through five of 22 stops this season. Hamilton earned his best result since joining Ferrari last year, while Verstappen reached the podium for the first time this season.