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In a heartwarming moment caught on camera, Kimi Antonelli's father hugged George Russell after the Mercedes teammates registered a double podium finish in the 2025 Canadian GP. Marco Antonelli, overjoyed with his son's first career podium, hugged Russell tightly in post-race celebrations.
Mercedes emerged as the best team of the weekend in Canada, as Russell won his first race of the season. The Brit won pole position at Saturday's qualifying session and beat Max Verstappen to finish P1.
Not only that, behind Russell, his rookie teammate Antonelli also crossed the checkered flag in P3, winning his first career podium.
The teammates were elated after the double podium finish and rushed to celebrate the achievement with the team after the race. Kimi Antonelli's father, Marco, pulled in George Russell for a tight hug before he could congratulate his son for his podium win.
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Mercedes' crew was equally excited as they celebrated the milestone with both drivers. Russell, as a senior driver, was also happy for his rookie teammate as he hugged Antonelli.
This is Mercedes' first double podium finish of the 2025 season. Apart from the performance, the team also nailed its strategies on a tough weekend where higher track temperatures were causing significant tire degradation.
For Antonelli, the race was perfect as he overtook championship leader Oscar Piastri at Turn 1 to jump to P3 from P4. He then defended his spot perfectly to finish on an F1 podium for the first time.
With this successful weekend, the Silver Arrows overtook Ferrari to jump to second place in the Constructors' championship standings with a total of 199 points.
George Russell retains win in Canada despite Red Bull's protest
After Lando Norris collided with his teammate, Oscar Piastri, on lap 67 of the 2025 Canadian GP, a safety car was deployed. Max Verstappen, who was in P2, accused George Russell, the race leader, of erratic driving. He argued that the Mercedes driver braked erratically and overtook him behind the safety car, which is an illegal move in the FIA rulebook.
Red Bull decided to protest against Russell, and the FIA heard both sides. After a lengthy discussion, the stewards rejected the Bulls' protest, noting that Russell's driving was not erratic and unsportsmanlike. Apparently, the Mercedes driver explained that he wanted to keep the tire temperature up while also maintaining a gap to the safety car, leading to the sudden braking.
The stewards accepted his defense and ruled in his favor. George Russell retained his victory while Max Verstappen settled for P2. Not only that, but Kimi Antonelli was also noted for safety car infringement. However, the FIA left him off the hook for this time with a warning.
