F1 Canada, the report cards of the promoted
1. Mercedes. Regardless of the controversies about starts, engines, ratios, compressions; regardless of the consequent superiority in every condition; also regardless of a track like Montreal, one of the very few to console it in lean periods. It’s not about winning, but about how to win: in the last five seasons, Mercedes has bet fearlessly on Russell, greeting seven world titles, and has done the same with Antonelli. Now they find themselves at the top and allow them to clash day after day and for longer. And thank goodness, because otherwise the Sprint and most of the race would have been unwatchable. And then, above all, because we have a championship (and it’s not a given, if the W17 were a Red Bull we would have a World Championship closed in June). A magnificent Antonelli is trying to bring it back to Italy after 73 years, but Russell will come back: the intermittent dandy is overall going slower, but not enough to deserve a -43.
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2. Lewis Hamilton. Perhaps the best weekend in red. Comfortable all weekend, pushes like a demon and is constantly faster than Leclerc, who finishes 33″ behind: gaps he used to give to Bottas. But Hamilton has always been like this: if everything goes his way he becomes a fantastic exclamation point, stopping him becomes difficult even if your name is Max Verstappen, even if the Sir is 41 years old. On these days he becomes a kid again, even after the checkered flag, when he cuddles Antonelli like a little brother under Max’s amused gaze. Three generations on a podium that hopefully can become iconic.
3. Franco Colapinto. Here is another who seems rather moody, as focused in the best moments as deleterious in a less performing context. Best F1 result for the Gaucho and a beautiful response after risking the seat for 2026. Mention for Sergio Perez, who in the Sprint finishes near the top-10, forgetting he is driving a Cadillac. Then he remembers when a suspension collapses at almost 300 km/h. But, jokes aside, for a team that started from zero the Americans are doing even better than expected. If they raced with two drivers it would be better.
F1 Canada, the report cards of the failed
3. Liberty Media. “Too much focus on criticism“, “At the beginning we let everyone talk“, “F1 has no problems“. Then, the next day (but really the next day) it is discovered that F1 really has problems, will soon say goodbye to 50-50 and will embrace the V8s again by 2031 at the latest, with many regards to the investments for 2026, which as widely predicted were channeled on a closed road. But saying “We were wrong“, absolutely not?
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2. Charles Leclerc. If Hamilton laughs, Leclerc cannot do the same. #16 is never on point, and only with one episode puts his nose ahead of his teammate in the Sprint. Otherwise he never looks at his license plate, and only with a Leclerc-style save does he avoid getting familiar with the wall. The best news for Charles is that this weekend is over and now another one comes to love, to dream, to live: his Monaco. Which with this Ferrari, I tell you…
1. Oscar Piastri. McLaren adds its part with a massive blunder at the start, complicating life for Norris and Piastri with the choice of intermediates at the start, without even differentiating between the two drivers. Oh right, the papaya rules. In what is only the last of a series of serious strategic errors, the theme of the drivers’ personality emerges once again: when should they impose themselves if not on tire choice? If at least Norris saves what can be saved before the technical KO, Icekid completes the picture by demolishing Albon’s car at the Casino hairpin. All this after constantly being beaten by Lando. Still need to grow.
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