Antonelli wins Canadian Grand Prix to extend championship lead

MONTREAL: Kimi Antonelli made it four wins in a row when he took the chequered flag at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday.

With his Mercedes teammate and nearest challenger George Russell retiring from the race because of a power unit malfunction, the 19-year-old Antonelli extended his lead in the world championship to 43 points.

“We are going to keep raising that bar,” said Antonelli, who is the first person whose first four Grand Prix victories came in consecutive races.

After Russell won the season opener in Australia, Antonelli has now won in China, Japan and Miami as well as Montreal.

Lewis Hamilton produced his best race since joining Ferrari at the start of last season to claim second place, while Max Verstappen held on for third in his Red Bull, his first podium of the season.

World champion Lando Norris had a frustrating afternoon. After charging into the lead at the start, he was brought in for an early change of tyres on his McLaren before being called in again because of a further tyre problem.

On lap 39, the Englishman pulled up trackside with a suspected broken gearbox, his race over.

Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc did enough to secure fourth while Verstappen’s Red Bull partner Isack Hadjar survived a 10-second penalty to finish fifth.

المصدر: Free Malaysia Today