Latest news with #FormulaOneCanadianGrandPrix
Qatar Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Hamilton ‘devastated' after hitting a groundhog at Canadian F1 GP
DPA Berlin Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said that it was 'devastating' to hear that he had hit a groundhog during the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. Having started from fifth, the Ferrari driver was hopeful to get his first podium since joining the Scuderia from Mercedes this season. But his plans went up in the air after he collided with a groundhog and picked up damage. 'I was managing the tyre as well, so I was feeling optimistic and then I didn't see it happen but obviously I heard I hit a groundhog, so that's devastating. I love animals so I'm so sad about it. That's horrible,' he said after finishing the race in sixth. 'That's never happened to me here before. But the floor, basically the right side has a hole in it and all the veins are all gone. Then, we had a brake issue halfway through as well.' Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also confirmed the incident. 'It's true that we had a small kiss with the marmot. It was lap eight or nine at the beginning of the first stint. 'And we damaged all the front part of the floor. It's something like 20 points (of downforce). Hopefully, we didn't have a big change in balance, but it was a lot of performance. We will send flowers to the marmot.'
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian Grand Prix CEO confident about event's future after successful 2025
MONTREAL – The spotlight stayed on the track this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix. That's probably what Jean-Philippe Paradis appreciated most after a 2024 edition marked by access and evacuation issues on Île Notre-Dame, water damage in TV studios and communication problems with the city's transport agency. Paradis took over as chief executive officer and president of Octane Racing Group — the Canadian GP promoter — after longtime executive Francois Dumontier stepped down last summer following 30 years on the job. Paradis said organizers didn't feel added pressure to deliver at this year's Canadian GP, but acknowledged that his team was eager to make the Formula One event shine. 'There was something where people wanted to make it different. We want to bring Canada to a top quartile GP,' he said. 'There's a path for us to get there, and we wanted to showcase that there is some improvement.' Paradis noted that event organizers rolled out the first phase of a three-year plan this year. Hospitality tents for F1 teams doubled in size and now include a second floor. The entire paddock area was redesigned to also feature a Canadian touch. Paradis wants to recreate the feel of a downtown Montreal street festival in the paddocks for F1 personnel and VIP guests. Teams were also able to enter the site via the previously inaccessible Victoria Bridge, avoiding the traffic that disrupted 2024 and previous years. Paradis hopes this year's race will serve as a springboard to making the Canadian GP one of the most beloved stops on the F1 calendar. 'If you ask me, why do you wake up every day in the morning? It's to try to make the race really amazing,' he said. 'Each time, I will improve the fan experience, the personnel experience.' The Canadian Grand Prix is under contract with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) until 2031. Paradis denied a rumour suggesting the FIA could terminate the deal as early as 2029. As for a contact extension, he noted many tracks only have one- or two-year deals. 'What we wanted to focus on is making sure 2025 is an amazing success we can build on,' Paradis said. 'As we get success, I'm sure things will fall into place.' On Tuesday morning, however, Paradis will join Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, Tourisme Montreal President and CEO Yves Lalumière and several city officials at Île Notre-Dame for a press conference 'relating to the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix.' Paradis and his team will have a little less time to prepare for the next year's edition of the Canadian GP. In the 2026 F1 calendar released last week, the Montreal event is set for May 22 to 24 — a few weeks earlier than the traditional June slot. The race will now directly follow the Miami GP, scheduled three weeks earlier. The change helps make the calendar more geographically logical and reflects F1's goal of reducing travel and becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Paradis doesn't expect the calendar change to affect ticket sales or fan willingness to travel to Montreal for the race. 'The month of May might have been a little bit colder this year,' he said. 'But historically there's about a 1.5 to two degree (Celsius) difference.' Most F1 drivers and team principals weren't overly familiar with Montreal's climate beyond their annual grand prix visit, but said they're used to unpredictable weather. 'Even when it's the same time of year here, the weather is quite unstable,' said Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu. 'You can have a dry race, wet race, really changeable conditions. So I'm sure teams are fine with it being a different time of year. 'I don't think it's going to be drastically different. But I think it's very good for everyone to look at how they can optimize travel logistics.' Williams team principal James Vowles said he has visited Montreal in the winter. 'I definitely don't want to race here in winter. It's freezing cold,' he said. 'But I think May is perfectly fine.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Paradis also said a scheduling conflict with the Indianapolis 500 won't reduce the number of American tourists coming to the event. He expressed the same confidence despite the growing number of Grand Prix races in the United States — now at three since Las Vegas was added in 2023 — when Montreal used to be the only North American stop. 'Canada is a huge market, right? It's 40 million people,' he said. 'There's obviously a huge economic market. We serve really well the Northeast of North America. It's an iconic race. 'I'm personally waking up every day to make sure that we have a top race, and this race stays here for the next 100 years.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hamilton: Hitting a groundhog at Canadian GP 'devastating'
British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton of team Scuderia Ferrari, drives during the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Scott Coleman/LiveMedia-IPA/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said that it was "devastating" to hear that he had hit a groundhog during the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. Having started from fifth, the Ferrari driver was hopeful to get his first podium since joining the Scuderia from Mercedes this season. But his plans went up in the air after he collided with a groundhog and picked up damage. Advertisement "I was managing the tyre as well, so I was feeling optimistic and then I didn't see it happen but obviously I heard I hit a groundhog, so that's devastating. I love animals so I'm so sad about it. That's horrible," he said after finishing the race in sixth. "That's never happened to me here before. But the floor, basically the right side has a hole in it and all the veins are all gone. Then, we had a brake issue halfway through as well." Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also confirmed the incident. "It's true that we had a small kiss with the marmot. It was lap eight or nine at the beginning of the first stint. Advertisement "And we damaged all the front part of the floor. It's something like 20 points (of downforce). Hopefully, we didn't have a big change in balance, but it was a lot of performance. We will send flowers to the marmot." Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari car was fifth. The race was won by George Russell of Mercedes, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull in second. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli was third, claiming his maiden F1 podium. Championship leader Oscar Piastri was fourth after a collision with McLaren team-mate Lando Norris with three laps to go. Norris wasn't able to finish the race.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
George Russell wins Canadian Grand Prix as McLarens collide
Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - June 15, 2025 Mercedes' George Russell on the podium after winning the Canadian Grand Prix alongside second place Red Bull's Max Verstappen and third place Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger Mercedes' George Russell celebrating on the podium with champagne after winning the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, on June 15. PHOTO: REUTERS MONTREAL – George Russell celebrated Mercedes' first win of the Formula One season in Canada on June 15 while McLaren's Oscar Piastri went 22 points clear in the championship after teammate Lando Norris smashed into him and retired. Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who had hoped to win for a record fourth year in a row at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, had to settle for second after a challenge fizzed out behind the safety car. Russell's 18-year-old rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli finished third for his first F1 podium and the first by an Italian since 2009. Piastri was fourth, with the safety car leading the final lap before peeling off to clear the way for Russell to take the chequered flag. 'Well done team. That made up for last year,' said Russell, who also started on pole in 2024 but finished third. His last win before June 15 was in Las Vegas in November. 'It's amazing to be back on the top step. I felt last year was a victory lost and probably got the victory today due to the incredible pole lap yesterday.' Piastri now has 198 points ahead of Norris on 176, with Verstappen on 155 with Russell on 136. In the constructors' standings, Mercedes moved up to second, ahead of Ferrari and 175 points behind McLaren. An uneventful afternoon erupted in headline drama when Norris hit the rear of Piastri's car three laps from the end – a clash long predicted in the title battle between the pair – while trying to overtake. The Briton, whose broken car stopped by the side of the track, was quick to blame himself when it all went wrong after they had earlier gone side by side. 'I'm sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me,' Norris said over the team radio. Piastri pitted as the safety car was deployed and rejoined with a tyre advantage over Antonelli that he could not use as the racing never resumed. 'Glad I didn't ruin his race. In the end apologies to the team,' Norris told Sky Sports television. 'This wasn't even like a 'that's racing', it was just silly from my part.' Stewards ruled he was solely to blame and handed him a meaningless five-second penalty. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth, the latter with a damaged car after hitting a groundhog. 'That's devastating because I love animals and I'm so sad about it,' said Hamilton, who is a vegan, Fernando Alonso was seventh for Aston Martin and Nico Hulkenberg brought in more solid points for Sauber in eighth place. Esteban Ocon was ninth for Haas in their 200th race with Carlos Sainz 10th for Williams. A post-race protest by Red Bull was rejected by stewards five and a half hours after the race ended. They had argued Russell breached the rules by driving erratically when the safety car was deployed in the final laps of the race and also showed unsportsmanlike conduct. While Russell and Verstappen are not friends and have clashed on the track, notably in Spain two weeks ago when Red Bull's four-times world champion was heavily punished, team boss Christian Horner said it was not personal. Red Bull have, however, protested twice in the space of five races now, both times against Russell. Third place, after passing Piastri on the opening lap, made Antonelli the third-youngest driver ever to stand on the F1 podium. 'I was just hoping for the race to finish, to be honest,' he said. 'I had a good start. I managed to jump into P3 and I just stayed up there at the front. The last stint, I pushed a bit too hard behind Max and I killed a bit of the front left tyre and then I struggled a bit at the end.' Russell led away cleanly from pole, with Verstappen slotting in behind. Behind them, Williams' Alex Albon tracked across the grass after starting ninth, with Alpine's Franco Colapinto moving briefly up from 10th before losing out to Hulkenberg and then falling down the order. Norris started on the hard tyres to go longer in the opening stint and was leading by lap 16 after others who started on mediums came in for pitstops. He then pitted on lap 29 and came out fifth, behind Piastri in fourth. Leclerc also came in on that lap but then questioned why Ferrari had made the call, with his hard tyres still in reasonable shape. Hamilton was behind his teammate and wondering out loud where the performance had gone. REUTERS, AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Russell wins Canadian GP, Antonelli's first podium, chaos for McLaren
DPA George Russell made the best out of his pole position to win the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, while his Mercedes team-mate and rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed his first podium finish and McLaren had a day to forget. Russell snatched pole from Max Verstappen on Saturday with a fantastic lap and only lost his position at the front in the pit stop rounds. The Briton reclaimed the lead and becomes the first driver other than Verstappen and McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to win this season. 'It is amazing to be back on the top step. I felt last year was a victory lost, so to get the victory and see Kimi on the podium too is an amazing day for the team,' Russell said. Last year he also had pole in Montreal, but finished third and the race was won by Dutchman Verstappen. Italian Antonelli was third this time, behind the Red Bull of four-time defending champion Verstappen, who was on the podium for the first time in over a month. But constructors' champions McLaren had a terrible day in Canada as they were out of the top three for the first time this season and Norris didn't complete the race after a collision with team-mate Piastri with three laps to go. Australian Piastri - who finished fourth - now tops the drivers' standings with 198 points, 22 ahead of Briton Norris. Russell got off to a great start to retain his lead, while Verstappen stayed in second. Piastri tried to make a move on the Dutchman, but ended up being overtaken by Antonelli. Just like at the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago, pit-stop plans played a big role and Mercedes mastered their strategy, as Russell never really had his lead threatened. Antonelli, meanwhile, had some stressful final laps as he was being chased by both Piastri and Norris. But the two McLarens were fiercely fighting among themselves, going wheel to wheel on lap 67. Piastri went ahead, but Norris braked too late and ran into the back of the championship leader. 'I'm sorry, all my bad, all my fault. Sorry, stupid from me,' Norris said over the radio. The race finished with all the cars behind the safety car, which was deployed due to the crash. Antonelli made his F1 debut this year as he replaced seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes after the latter joined Ferrari. 'It was so stressful! But super happy, I had a good start, managed to jump into third, and just stayed up there in the front. Last stint I pushed a bit too hard behind Max and killed the front left, and I struggled a bit at the end. But happy to bring the podium home,' the Italian driver said. Verstappen still needs to watch out Next on the calendar is the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29 and Verstappen will need to be on his best behaviour as he's still one licence point away from a race ban. Two of his penalty points will expire on June 30, moving him three points away from a race ban in time for the British Grand Prix on July 6. The Dutchman was punished for causing a collision with Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix and he was also handed a 10-second penalty in the race. After his podium in Canada, he said: 'Was quite a good race, even though in the first two stints we were struggling with the tyres. We hung in there in the final stint, and the tyres were better under lower fuel loads. That was the maximum we could have achieved today.' Ferrari were fifth and sixth through Charles Leclerc and Hamilton respectively, with Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin in seventh. Nico Hülkenberg of Kick Sauber, Esteban Ocon of Haas and Carlos Sainz in the Williams completed the top 10.
