Kimi Antonelli continues his unstoppable streak in the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Mercedes driver secured his fourth consecutive victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, although the race was marked by his teammate George Russell's retirement due to a power unit failure. With this result, Antonelli extends his championship lead to 43 points over Lewis Hamilton, who finished second with Ferrari, and Max Verstappen, third with Red Bull.
Mercedes power unit reliability, a key development point ⚙️
The power unit failure in Russell's car is a significant data point for Mercedes engineers. Until now, the team had shown solid performance with five wins in five races, but this technical incident raises questions about component durability. The team will need to analyze telemetry data to determine whether it was an isolated issue or a sign of premature engine wear. Meanwhile, Antonelli keeps adding crucial points.
Russell misses out on a duel, but with a broken engine 😅
George Russell was cut short of what promised to be an exciting wheel-to-wheel duel with Antonelli. But the power unit gave out, and the Briton had to park the car. While Antonelli celebrated his fourth victory, Russell was surely thinking that, at least, the retirement saved him from having to explain why he lost to his teammate again. Reliability, they say, is a two-way street: one has it, and the other loses it.