Russell wins Canadian Grand Prix sprint after fierce duel with teammate Antonelli

George Russell seized victory in the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix sprint race, holding off a furious challenge from his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. The intense battle saw Russell secure his second sprint win of the season in Montréal.

Championship leader Antonelli, visibly angered by Russell's driving, repeatedly went off track and vocally complained over the team radio. He finished third, behind Russell and McLaren's Lando Norris, surrendering two points from his championship lead. Team principal Toto Wolff indicated a post-race discussion was in order, stating, "We will discuss this internally, not over the team radio."

The sprint race, a 23-lap affair with no tire changes, saw Mercedes and McLaren teammates starting at the front of their respective grids. Russell and Antonelli led the pack, followed by Norris and Oscar Piastri, then Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and finally Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Nico Hülkenberg qualified just outside the top ten.

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We will discuss this internally, not over the team radio.

Russell had hoped for a clean start and to keep the McLarens at bay, a plan that initially succeeded. Hamilton quickly moved up, overtaking Piastri. However, the focus soon shifted to the intense duel between the Mercedes drivers. In lap six, their cars made contact, leading to Antonelli going wide twice and escalating his radio complaints. Norris capitalized on the commotion, passing the agitated Italian.

Despite the internal Mercedes conflict, Antonelli regrouped, closing in on Norris and Russell. In the final lap, he attacked Norris but again ran wide. Russell, however, maintained his composure to clinch the victory, ending a somewhat challenging period after his earlier win in Melbourne.

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I hope that we have a clean start and keep the McLarens behind us.