17/06/2025

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CHAMPIONSHIP leader Oscar Piastri accepted McLaren teammate Lando Norris’s apologies yesterday after the Briton misjudged a passing move and crashed into him in the closing laps of the Canadian Grand Prix. The collision on lap 67 of the 70-lap race came when Norris attempted to overtake his Australian teammate and title rival on the straight, but attacked a diminishing space and hit the back of Piastri’s car, demolishing his own front wing. Piastri continued and finished fourth while Norris retired. Piastri’s fourth place finish left him frustrated and disappointed as McLaren failed to land a podium finish for the first time this year in the 10th race of the 24-race season. But he boosted his lead in the drivers’title race to 22 points with 198 ahead of Norris and Verstappen, who is third on 155. Russell is fourth on 136. “It’s not ideal for anyone,” said Piastri. “I’ve not actually seen the incident, so I don’t know exactly what happened, but if Lando has taken full responsibility then that’s how it goes I guess. “It was just a bit of a tricky race in general and RED BULL boss Christian Horner confirmed the protest in his post-race media briefing, detailing: “Two protests that we’ve put to the stewards, that we’ve asked them to have a look at. “Firstly, relating to the erratic driving behind the safety car, where George (Russell) very heavily braked, obviously looking in his mirror for Max (Verstappen). “The second one is very clearly the distance that was left behind the safety car that was well in excess, I think at least three times in excess, of the permitted distance. “So, it’s within our right to obviously protest that. So, we’ve lodged the protest.” Asked further if Verstappen had encouraged a protest against his arch-rival, Horner replied: “No, not at all. Max was talking to you guys, and had no idea. “It’s within a competitor’s right to raise a protest. It’s €2000 (RM9,779) per protest and we were surprised that they weren’t noted and sent to the stewards.” Verstappen had earlier explained how he saw the safety car period, in his post-race interview with Sky F1 : “I think we were both trying to say to the safety car to speed up because he was only going 120kph, but maybe the safety car was doing that to give a bit more time to maybe get a race lap in. Ű BY KIERAN JACKSON KIMI ANTONELLI felt goosebumps in Canada yesterday after becoming the first Italian driver in 16 years to finish on the Formula One podium. The 18-year-old Mercedes rookie made it to the bottom step this time but nobody doubted it would be the first of many for the third youngest F1 driver of all time to score a top three result. The last Italian on the podium was Jarno Trulli with Toyota in October 2009. “I knew Kimi coming up through the karting ranks, people were already saying great things, “Then I think George was trying to speed up to the safety car. I was trying to do the same, and once he tried to speed up the safety car, he backed out and then caused a bit of confusion. The FIA regulations state: “In order to avoid the likelihood of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits, from the point at which the lights on the car are turned out, drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration or braking, nor any manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart.” – The Independent Red Bull protest denied

not an ideal finish.” On his duel with Norris, he added: “It was fair, but he made quite a large move into Turn 10, I held my own into the chicane. It was definitely a tough battle, but a clean one up until that point. “I’ve not seen the incident, but I don’t think there was any bad intentions involved. I think it was just unfortunate really. “I will go and have a look – we’re both fighting for a world championship and I’m very thankful to the team that they allow us to race. I don’t expect this to change anything in terms of that.” “I think our pace was OK, but not the race I expected with the bad start and that kind of cemented us in fourth and I don’t think we had enough of an advantage to do anything else.” He was also reluctant overplay his advantage in the drivers’ title race. “For me, this weekend wasn’t good enough and it’s still far too early to think that that is an comfortable advantage or anything like that. There’s a long way to go in the season and we’ve got to try and improve on the whole.” Norris did not finish and accepted the blame for the accident. – AFP 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. 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. 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. 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. – AFP definitely a moment I will remember for a very long time. It gives you a boost -results like this and this feeling, you can’t buy this feeling,” said the fan-voted ‘Driver of the Day’. “It’s an amazing feeling and you just want more. Now the next goal is to win, to bring Italy back on top. This result was needed. It’s also for all the Italian tifosi (fans) out there. “Imola (his first home race) was an incredible weekend for me in terms of support. It didn’t go as well as I wanted, but seeing so much support already early on is great. So, this result is also for them.” – Reuters

Piastri accepts Norris apology

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (front) and Lando Norris during the Canadian Grand Prix. – REUTERSPIC

Pole-sitter keeps victory over Verstappen as Norris, Piastri collide G EORGE RUSSELL celebrated Mercedes’ first win of the Formula One season in Canada yesterday while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri went 22 points clear in the championship after teammate Lando Norris smashed into him and retired. 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. Russell wins in Canada

In the constructors’ standings Mercedes moved up to second, ahead of Ferrari and 175 points behind McLaren. An uneventful afternoon erupted in h e a d l i n e

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

drama when Norris hit the rear of Piastri’s car three

laps from the end –

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 Sunday was in Las Vegas in Novem ber. “It’s amazing

to be back on the top step. I felt last year

Mercedes’ George Russell (left) and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. – AFPPIC

Antonelli’s F1 podium debut likely to be first of many

seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton but the team have emphasised he needs time to learn and will make mistakes. In fact he has made very few in a season that has already seen him become the youngest driver to take a pole, albeit in a sprint, lead a race and set fastest lap. Stepping out onto the Montreal podium and hearing the crowd at a circuit named after Ferrari great Gilles Villeneuve and in a city where there is a significant Italian community, was better than he had imagined. “I had massive goosebumps. That is

so I was keeping an eye on him,” said Red Bull’s four times world champion Max Verstappen who finished one place ahead and had his first podium at 18. “I think what’s impressive is he’s naturally quick. What I like is his level-headed, calm approach. Those are great qualities to have. I was never in doubt that the podium would come this year. “I’m very happy that it happened for him. It gives you more confidence. It’s a nice boost. And it will only get better,” added the Dutch driver. Antonelli has taken the seat vacated by