Kimi Antonelli arrived at the Canadian Grand Prix weekend in Montreal with momentum behind him and immediately underlined it in free practice, where he set a strong lap time and headed team-mate George Russell. That left Mercedes looking to have a significant advantage over the pack before sprint qualifying, the first competitive session of the weekend and the next item on the F1 schedule.
Antonelli has come in riding a wave of confidence after securing three consecutive grand prix victories, and his pace in practice added to the sense that Mercedes had started the weekend on the front foot. Russell was expected to answer back once sprint qualifying began, with the team relying on both drivers as it tried to turn practice speed into a result on track.
The timing matters because Mercedes also planned to introduce a major upgrades package at the event, giving Montreal extra importance beyond the opening sprint session. If the car’s pace in practice is a true read, the team may already have found the window it wanted before the upgrades are even fully put through their paces.
There was, though, one obvious name still hanging over the session. Max Verstappen was being described as a real threat with a smooth weekend, which means Mercedes’ early edge could be tested quickly once the competitive running begins and the order starts to harden.
For Antonelli, the question is no longer whether he can arrive with speed. It is whether he can carry that form into the first real fight of f1 canada and keep Mercedes ahead when the pressure starts to bite.
