Kimi Antonelli says Russell fight would have gone to the finish after Canada retirement

Kimi Antonelli said his Canadian Grand Prix fight with George Russell would likely have gone all the way to the end before Russell retired with a mechanical issue.

Antonelli won in Montreal after Russell, who had been battling at the front, was forced out of the race. The result came after an intense Mercedes contest and extended Antonelli's lead in the championship standings.

Speaking after the race, Antonelli said it was not really the way he wanted to win because the battle with Russell had been so tough. He added that he expected the fight would have continued to the finish if Russell had not retired.

The comments came after a race in which Russell had taken pole and the two Mercedes drivers had been running wheel to wheel. Reuters and Formula 1 both reported the retirement and Antonelli's reaction on Sunday.

Russell's exit left Mercedes reflecting on an intra-team contest that had already shaped the weekend in Canada, while Antonelli moved on with a bigger points advantage at the top of the standings.