Kimi Antonelli extended his advantage at the top of the F1 Drivers' Championship by winning his fourth race of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver capitalised on a mechanical retirement for his team-mate and title rival George Russell to open up a 43-point gap at the summit after just five races.
The Silver Arrows duo had produced an absorbing battle until Russell's power unit failure on lap 30, which was a continuation of their intense contest during Saturday's sprint race as the pair left little margin for error with trades of late lunges and aggressive manoeuvring.
Whilst it was Russell who got the upper hand in the sprint, it was Antonelli who was all smiles following the race on Sunday as he scampered off into an unchallenged lead before taking the chequered flag.
Success in Montreal means Antonelli is the first driver to have recorded his first four wins in F1 all in succession after victories in China, Japan and Miami.
Although we're still less than a quarter of the distance through this mammoth 2026 season, the Italian has been cut into 1/2 to achieve a maiden Drivers' Championship.
We're a considerable distance from a foregone conclusion, but the omens are good for Antonelli. Since the first championship in 1950, no driver has won at least four of the first five races and not been crowned world champion.
It's not an irregular accomplishement either; 11 drivers have won at least four of the opening five races in 14 separate seasons, and that driver has gone on to win the world championship on every occasion.
Max Verstappen was the latest to do it in 2024 as his triumphs in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Japan and China sandwiched Carlos Sainz's success for Ferrari in Australia. The Dutchman finished the campaign 67 points clear of Lando Norris in second to win his fourth consecutive Drivers' Championship.
Jim Clark was the first to win at least four of the opening five races of an F1 season in 1963 and he repeated the feat two years later on his path to a second world title.
Jackie Stewart then achieved it in 1969 before winning the first of his three championships, but we had to wait until 1991 for the next time a driver won at least four of the opening five races when Ayrton Senna made an emphatic start to the season for McLaren.
Nigel Mansell repeated the accomplishment in the subsequent season before Michael Schumacher took the chequered flag in the first four races of the 1994 campaign. The seven-time world champion has won at least four of the opening five races on two more occasions: 2002 and 2004.
Damon Hill (1996), Jenson Button (2009), Sebastian Vettel (2011), Lewis Hamilton (2014) and Nico Rosberg (2016) have all made domineering starts to the season with at least four wins from the opening five. The quintet all went on to win the title in the same year.
No pressure then, Antonelli.
There have been instances where drivers have won three of the opening five races and failed to be crowned world champion.
Clark's hopes of going back-to-back in 1964 were dashed by John Surtees despite emerging victorious in the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain, while in 1973, Emerson Fittipaldi had made a similarly strong start but relinquished his crown to Jackie Stewart.
Niki Lauda won four of the opening six races during the 1976 season until he was seriously injured in a crash at the German Grand Prix, with James Hunt taking the title by a point for McLaren.
In one of the sport's most famous championship battles, Senna was triumphant in three of the opening five races in the 1989 campaign, only for his great nemesis and team-mate Alain Prost to win the title following the Brazilian's controversial disqualification at Suzuka.
Drivers to win at least four of the first five races in an F1 season
Year: | 4+ race wins in first five races: | Championship winner: |
1963 | Jim Clark | Jim Clark |
1965 | Jim Clark | Jim Clark |
1969 | Jackie Stewart | Jackie Stewart |
1991 | Ayrton Senna | Ayrton Senna |
1992 | Nigel Mansell | Nigel Mansell |
1994 | Michael Schumacher | Michael Schumacher |
1996 | Damon Hill | Damon Hill |
2002 | Michael Schumacher | Michael Schumacher |
2004 | Michael Schumacher | Michael Schumacher |
2009 | Jenson Button | Jenson Button |
2011 | Sebastian Vettel | Sebastian Vettel |
2014 | Lewis Hamilton | Lewis Hamilton |
2016 | Nico Rosberg | Nico Rosberg |
2024 | Max Verstappen | Max Verstappen |
All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
