The sprint race in Canada has produced an unprecedentedly fierce battle between the two Mercedes drivers, with George Russell as the winner. Max Verstappen saw it all happen in the distance and finished a dismal seventh in Montreal.

With his victory, Russell can add eight points to the World Cup standings. He is still eighteen points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old Italian shot through the grass twice after tough mutual duels and finished third behind world champion Lando Norris.

Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton also finished ahead of Verstappen, who clearly lacked speed in his Red Bull. His teammate Isack Hadjar finished last after a technical problem.

For the first time this year, both Mercedes got off to a good start. Russell, who started from pole position, retained the lead and Antonelli followed suit. The Italian leader in the World Cup standings immediately started to put pressure on his teammate.

Verstappen remained in seventh position and never actually claimed more.

The fight between the Mercedes drivers broke out after a few laps. Antonelli started the attack, but Russell pushed him out of bounds. On the second attempt, Antonelli shot off the track a little later due to his own actions.

The young Italian complained on the on-board radio that his teammate should be punished, after which Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff tried to calm Antonelli. The competition management saw no reason to hand out a penalty.

In the final phase, Norris and Antonelli pushed hard against the leading Russell. The Italian went off track for the third time while overtaking and could not prevent Russell’s victory.

Qualifying for the main race will be held later tonight. The Canadian GP starts on Sunday at 10 p.m.