Eighteen-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli celebrated his first Formula 1 podium finish in Montreal, marking a successful day for Mercedes. Antonelli’s extraordinary performance places him as the third-youngest podium finisher in F1 history.

Antonelli, who started fourth, overtook championship leader Oscar Piastri early in the race and maintained his position despite pressure from the Australian driver in the final laps.

“It was so stressful but super happy,” Antonelli said. “The last stint I pushed a bit too hard behind Max and I killed a bit of the front left and I struggled a bit at the end, but I’m really happy to bring the podium home.” He also noted, “This track has been good for us and the car has been astounding all weekend. Hopefully we can carry the same momentum into the next few races.”

Mercedes’ Strong Showing at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

George Russell attributed Mercedes’ strong performance at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to the track’s characteristics, noting that its “smooth” surface and “low-speed” corners suited the car well.

“It was so stressful but super happy,” Antonelli said.

Looking ahead, Russell acknowledged the challenges that the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring will present. “Its going to be on old tarmac, more high-speed corners and it’s going to be hot as well,” Russell said. “We’ve got three things working against us. I’m not going to sit here and say Mercedes is back because we were the quickest team here last year but we didn’t win the championship. We no where we need to improve.” The Austrian Grand Prix is scheduled for june 27-29.

Looking Ahead to Austria

The Formula 1 season moves to Austria from June 27-29, where the Red Bull Ring is expected to pose a different set of challenges compared to Montreal.