The Key Takeaways From the Canadian Grand Prix

The Canadian Grand Prix has come and gone, and anyone following the paddock knows that a number of major storylines just took an interesting turn in this next chapter of the 2026 season.

Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I know the exact engineering science behind front-wing downforce or the impact the new set ups have on the cars. I enjoy watching the race but I am nothing more than a casual fan.

Yet, even to the most casual eye, it was obvious that yesterday's race in Montreal delivered the exact type of high-stakes drama and excitement that makes people fall in love with the sport in the first place.

So lets take a look at some of the key talking points from the Canadian Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli is the real deal

There seems to be a huge transitional period in the world of sports at the moment, where a plethora of young stars and teams are taking over. In the NBA, Victor Wembanyama has taken the San Antonio Spurs to the Western Conference Finals and are currently going blow-for-blow against the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder (who themselves are led by a young superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In boxing, 21-year-old heavyweight Moses Itauma is being touted as the next big thing and is gunning for a fight with undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk. Formula 1 has their own young superstar in 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli.

The second year driver for Mercedes extended his lead at the top of the Drivers Championship to 43 points, over teammate George Russell. His win in Montreal made him the first driver in F1 history to claim his first four wins consecutively. Despite being teammates, the two Mercedes drivers had an epic battle for the lead in yesterday's race, with the pair constantly trading places until Russell retired on lap 31 after his car suffered a power unit failure while he was leading the race.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, Antonelli said it's 'very, very early' to talk about the championship. He added: "The [points] gap doesn't mean that I can relax and just take it easier. Instead, I need to keep raising the bar because it's not going to be easy."

While there is still plenty to race for between now and December, Antonelli has already shown he could be the future of the sport.

A throwback battle between Hamilton and Verstappen

While we are currently witnessing the future of the sport in Antonelli, Sunday's race gave fans a throwback battle for second place between two drivers whose rivalry built the modern F1 boom.

With Russell and reigning champion Lando Norris both retiring in the Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were left to engage in a dogfight for the podium, leaving viewers reminiscing about their epic battles they had for the championship at the start of the decade.

Having been passed by Verstappen for third place earlier in the race, and falling as far back as seven seconds behind the Red Bull driver, Hamilton rolled back the years and managed to catch up and got within a second with 13 laps remaining.

He had to contend with the four-time world champion's elite defensive skills, a situation he is all too familiar with, before finally overtaking and then holding off Verstappen in the closing stages for a second place finish, his highest since joining Ferrari last season.

Following the race, the pair both seemed to enjoy their rekindled battle, with Hamilton saying: "It was awesome, absolutely awesome to fight with one of the greats."

While Verstappen, who has been vocal about his unhappiness with the new car regulations, added: "It was very good. I enjoyed it a lot."

While these two aren't currently competing for the biggest honours, it was still a spectacle to see two pioneers of the sport still have enough left in the tank to go wheel-to-wheel with one another.

What is Going On at McLaren?

McLaren for the last couple of seasons have probably been the best team in the sport, having won back-to-back Constructors Championships (2024-2025). Last season saw drivers Norris and Oscar Piastri engage in a thrilling battle for the Drivers Championship, which ran its course all the way to the final race where Norris eventually picked up his first Drivers Championship.

This season, however, hasn't started the way they hoped. Mercedes are currently riding high at the top of the Constructors Championship table and it's their two drivers who are in a battle of their own for the Drivers Championship. Sunday's race for McLaren was the latest episode in a disappointing season, by their high standards.

With light rain falling ahead of lights out, McLaren gambled, starting both Piastri and Norris on intermediate tires. Initially, the roll of the dice looked like a masterstroke as Norris surged into the lead from third. But the joy was short-lived. The track dried rapidly, and the intermediates began to overheat, forcing Norris into the pits by the end of the second lap.

From there, Norris’s afternoon spiraled. He was forced into a second pit stop to clear debris from his radiators before ultimately retiring altogether with a gearbox failure. Piastri didn't fare much better, finishing in 11th after picking up car damage and a 10-second penalty following a collision with Williams’ Alex Albon.

Over the team radio, Piastri was blunt, stating that McLaren had completely misread the situation after a grid issue for Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad triggered two extra formation laps, delaying the race start by seven minutes.

"It was raining and between the anthem and getting in the car, it was pretty wet on the ground. You could clearly tell where it was wet and dry," Piastri told Sky Sports F1, before adding the gamble made McLaren look like 'idiots'.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella defended his decision, explaining that if the rain 'lasted for a few more minutes and the start happened at the right time', the drivers on dry tyres would have struggled.

While there is still plenty of time for McLaren to turn their season around, their hopes of winning the Constructors Championship for a third year running look a big blow at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Whether you’re an F1 fanatic or just a casual observer of the paddock like me, Sunday in Montreal was an elite reminder of why we watch.

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