Max third in thrilling Canadian GP: 'Very positive to be on the podium'

Published on 25 May 2026 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen finished third in the Canadian Grand Prix. In an eventful race, where Max spent a long time battling Lewis Hamilton, the Dutchman eventually crossed the line in third place. It marked his first podium finish of the season. Kimi Antonelli won the race and extended his lead in the championship.

After the race, Max said over the team radio: “It is a shame we did not have the tyre temperature for the final stint. That made things very difficult. Well done to the team. It is our first podium. It is progress, but there are still a few things we need to understand. We will definitely take this forward.”

Speaking to the cameras afterwards, Max continued: “I think I am happy with the result. I had some cool battles and racing up front again is always better. To get our first podium is really positive. I am very happy with that. A cool battle with Lewis in the end and we kept pushing all the way to the finish line. In a weekend where it was not easy to get things right, it is very positive for us to be on the podium. I am very happy with that. We need to keep working and improve more than our competition, and then we will see what we can do.”

Before the Canadian Grand Prix, the weather proved unpredictable. Just before the start there was some drizzle, prompting mixed reactions from the teams. Most drivers still opted to start on slick tyres, including Max and both Mercedes drivers. The McLarens chose to start on intermediates. After the start was delayed by two laps due to a problem with Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls car, the race finally got under way. Lando Norris benefited from the intermediates and surged from third to first place. However, that advantage did not last long. McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri dived into the pits at the end of the lap for a set of medium tyres. Norris followed on lap three and also switched to mediums. That handed the lead to Kimi Antonelli, ahead of Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Max was running fourth after a decent start, behind Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari.

After an intense battle between Russell and Antonelli during the sprint race, another duel unfolded in this race. On lap six, the Briton took the lead from Antonelli. The young Italian then locked up and almost hit his team-mate. A few seconds behind them, a battle for third place was also taking place. Max piled the pressure on Hamilton and at the start of lap nine, the four-time world champion even passed his former rival. The gap between Max and Hamilton stayed at just under a second for a long time, but after a braking error from Hamilton, the gap grew to nearly five seconds.

It was a much more frustrating day for McLaren. Piastri had to pit for a second time within 15 laps. He clipped Alexander Albon’s Williams at the hairpin and needed a new front wing as a result. On top of that, he was also handed a ten-second penalty for causing a collision. Albon could not continue and had to park his car behind the barriers. A few laps later, Norris also came in for his second pit stop. Something was lodged in the sidepod, causing temperatures to rise rapidly. Once it had been removed, Norris rejoined the track, leaving both McLarens outside the top ten.

The two Mercedes drivers continued battling each other for the lead. Russell locked up several times at the hairpin, allowing Antonelli to stay very close behind. On lap 22, the championship leader reclaimed first place in the race, although the lead continued to change hands with Russell afterwards. The battle came to an end on lap 30 when Russell retired with technical problems. He triggered a virtual safety car, which allowed much of the top five to take the opportunity to change tyres. Antonelli stopped first and switched to medium tyres. Max followed from second place and enjoyed a tidy stop. He also changed to mediums and even gained a little time on Hamilton, who lost time with a poor pit stop. As a result, Charles Leclerc’s stop also took slightly longer, allowing Isack Hadjar, Max’s Oracle Red Bull Racing team-mate, to move up into fourth place ahead of the Monegasque driver.

A fierce battle then developed between Hadjar and Leclerc. Hadjar defended aggressively and changed line dangerously on several occasions, earning himself a ten-second penalty from the stewards. In the end, he lost fourth place to Leclerc on track anyway. Further down the order, Norris also retired. Like Russell, he suffered a technical issue.

After the pit stop, Hamilton slowly but surely managed to close the gap to Max. On lap 55, with fourteen laps remaining, Hamilton moved to within a second of the four-time world champion. Over the following laps, Max defended his second place tooth and nail. Hamilton came close several times, but Max kept the door shut. Nevertheless, Hamilton finally managed to take second place from the battling Verstappen on lap 62. Max stayed close to the Ferrari, but never got close enough to launch a real attack. When the chequered flag fell, Antonelli crossed the line first ahead of Hamilton and Max. It was the 71-time grand prix winner’s first podium finish of the season.

Results Grand Prix Canada: