Sprint Canada: Mercedes and McLaren on par, Ferrari at 3 tenths

Analysis of the Sprint in Canada The first Sprint on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal was a fun contest, even if from a general “racing” point of view there are positive and negative aspects to underline, at least from what we saw in the short race. On the one hand, in fact, the circuit with lots of violent braking, together with the recently introduced regulatory changes, seems to really minimize the energy recovery issue that has gripped this first part of the season, resulting in a hard-fought race, and tight driving both on the flying lap and on the pace. On the other hand, the whole part of the overtaking help that these new rules were supposed to bring already seems to be starting to become evanescent, with the first three for a long time contained in a single second but unable to attack each other. Russell wins by spreading his elbows: Mercedes still winning but vulnerable Having said that, the sprint was clearly animated by the battle of the head. George Russell came out well, victorious thanks to a good start and then to a strenuous defense of the position, in the first part by the attacking Antonelli, and in the last by an excellent Lando Norris. Mercedes curiously chooses to start with medium tires that are already 6 laps old, but in general the “gaps” seen in qualifying also appeared in the race, with a pace only aligned with that of McLaren, but not really superior. The impression is that the large package of updates brought to the track by the Brackley team needs time to be truly understood and exploited and this can only increase curiosity in view of qualifying for the Grand Prix. The question that naturally emerges is whether Mercedes will be able to find a better balance and therefore open a significant gap with its rivals or whether it will be forced to fight or even be vulnerable both in qualifying and in the race. Antonelli faster and more aggressive It must also be said that the clear impression was that Antonelli was faster than Russell in terms of race pace, a very significant figure regarding the form of the two riders. The young Italian tried the attack but ended up paying the consequences. In general we find it correct not to settle, but, obviously, Antonelli cannot expect his rival in the title fight to leave the door open for him. For this reason, beyond Antonelli’s maneuver, which could have been there, the slightly less sensible thing was his outburst on the radio, also asking for a penalty for his teammate, something that is never done. In this sense, Toto Wolff’s words on the radio were more than understandable and correct. It remains to be seen what will happen in qualifying because Antonelli being faster than Russell on this track would define a trend seen in the last few races that is truly significant also from a championship perspective. McLaren at par, Ferrari at 3 tenths. Hamilton fast but Leclerc arrives Well, as mentioned, McLaren, with Norris on the same level as Russell from a performance point of view, while Ferrari cannot go beyond third strength despite a good car set-up and a decent pace, but with a too evident lack of engine, especially in traction, which also often forces the drivers to push markedly on the tires in the driven sections to keep up on the straights, then ending up finding themselves at the end of the stint with less performance than their rivals in terms of tyres. On average, the reds suffered around 3 tenths of a gap from the leader, so in line if not lower than what we have seen so far in the season and considering the lack of cavalry, it is a result that should already be taken positively. It’s a shame for Hamilton’s troubled finish as he had a moment of crisis after driving the entire first part of the race very well, including an excellent start. Leclerc appeared more comfortable than in qualifying and confirmed that he has a series of brake problems which he hopes will be resolved by qualifying. The Monegasque showed a good feeling with the car in the race but some gaps compared to Hamilton on the flying lap, and the internal challenge between them will be another very interesting aspect to follow.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-24 04:20:00