George Russelll & Kimi Antonelli all set for major boost by Mercedes in Canadian GP

In a major boost to Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, Mercedes is likely to bring upgrades for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. Technical director James Allison said that they have one or two bits to take to Montreal in the coming weekend.

The Silver Arrows had a tough weekend in Spain last week as they struggled to manage tire degradation in Barcelona. Russell finished P4 in a hard-fought race, but Kimi Antonelli had a DNF due to mechanical failure.

Before Spain, the team didn't have a great outing in Monaco as well, as Williams and Racing Bulls held up Russell and Antonelli with clever tactics.

Regardless, with the Canadian Grand Prix in sight, the Brackley-based squad is likely to introduce a fresh set of upgrades. According to technical director James Allison, the track of Montreal is cooler compared to Barcelona, and the circuit has historically suited them well. Moreover, with one or two upgrades, Mercedes is looking forward to racing in Canada.

In the team's Race Debrief show, Allison said:

"Of course, it is cooler. But I think that more important than the absolute temperature is just the different nature of the challenge in Montreal. Big braking circuit, where it's relatively harder to get the front and rear axles at the right temperature. And it's a track where we've tended to find our feet relatively well in the past. So I'm looking forward to it. We’ve got one or two new bits to take with us, and we'll see how we get on."

The Silver Arrows slipped to P3 in the constructors' championship standings as Ferrari surpassed them after the Spanish GP. Mercedes stays P3 at 159 points, whereas the Italian team has 165 points.

---

Mercedes assesses damage to George Russell's car after a collision with Max Verstappen

Mercedes' George Russell at the F1 Grand Prix of Spain - Source: Getty

During the final few laps of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, George Russell had contact with Max Verstappen. The latter was asked to give the P4 position back to the former, but Verstappen instead crashed into Russell, causing a collision. As a repercussion, the Red Bull driver received a 10-second time penalty.

Meanwhile, reflecting on the damage caused to Russell's car after the collision, Mercedes technical director James Allison said the issue isn't significant enough to affect their next race in Canada.

During the Race Debrief show, Allison said,

“No. Enough that we felt it, but not enough that there’ll be any, even the hint of it, when we show up at the next track. It’s just a little bit of rash from bumping into the other car."

Apart from the time penalty, Max Verstappen also received three penalty points for causing a collision. He dropped from P5 to P10, whereas George Russell retained a P4 finish.