Motor Racing

Canadian Grand Prix 2026: Antonelli To Extend Championship Lead In Montreal?

2 days ago

| BY Sam Cox

The 2026 F1 campaign rolls onto Canada and William Hill News tipster Sam Cox gives his predictions and best bets on this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.

A disjointed Formula One season heads to Montreal this weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix. This should begin a period of relative normality for the sport after a spell of only one race in 56 days.

Canadian Grand Prix Best Bets

Kimi Antonelli Race Winner, George Russell Top 3 Finish & Oscar Piastri Top 6 Finish (7/2)
Oscar Piastri & Charles Leclerc Both Top 6 Finish & Lewis Hamilton Top 10 Finish (4/5)
Franco Colapinto Top 10 Finish (5/6)
Lewis Hamilton Top 6 Finish (4/5)

Kimi Antonelli is the championship leader after putting together three race wins and three poles over a 49-day period. The young Italian is the F1 betting favourite for this weekend’s race over teammate George Russell.

Canadian Grand Prix Winner Odds

Kimi Antonelli: 13/8
George Russell: 2/1
Lando Norris: 9/2
Max Verstappen: 9/1
Oscar Piastri: 10/1
Charles Leclerc: 14/1
Lewis Hamilton: 25/1

Mercs Do Battle

Having been the preseason favourite, Russell might be feeling a little unsettled by Antonelli’s three-race winning streak. The Mercedes has been as dominant as expected, but it has been Antonelli rather than Russell taking full advantage.

This weekend represents an opportunity for Russell to close the gap as he returns to one of his favourite tracks. The Brit won from pole at this race 12 months ago and found himself on the podium in 2024.

A gap before the Miami Grand Prix enabled cars to introduce upgrades in the hope of catching up with Mercedes. Russell and Antonelli won’t have it all their own way this weekend, though the rivalry between the teammates is an enthralling storyline to follow.

Chasing Pack

Ferrari had several new elements in Miami and will bring more to Montreal. McLaren have made major progress over the last couple of races, with Oscar Piastri threatening in Japan and the two Papaya cars joining Antonelli on the podium in Florida three weeks ago.

Red Bull showed some encouraging signs in Miami. The strength of the power unit could be valuable on Montreal’s lengthy back straight.

Ferrari’s pace in qualifying and strong starts are yet to be backed up with race pace. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will be desperate to challenge the Silver Arrows. It will be interesting to see what each team has learned from the data they collected in Miami.

Drama Expected

With high-speed chicanes and unforgiving walls, Montreal often provides excitement for sports betting punters and spectators. It tests the concentration and skill of drivers in equal measure.

This weekend, there’s a chance of rain on Sunday, which could add another variable along with the upgrades teams are bringing.

It’s also the first-ever sprint race in Canada. Teams making significant changes to their cars have less time to figure things out in practice, and the sprint race will provide a preview of what’s to come on Sunday.

It would be bold to bet against Antonelli with the form he’s shown. Equally, Piastri has driven well enough to warrant some betting interest, even with Norris sitting at a shorter price to win the race.

The Australian had a nightmare start to the year, failing to start the first two races, but he’s posted back-to-back podiums. It’s clear he’s got the pace to go toe-to-toe with the Mercedes and a top-six finish feels like the floor for Piastri in Montreal.

Since driving for Ferrari, Leclerc has never finished outside the top six in Montreal. The eighth-place he registered in Miami was an anomaly.

Hamilton loves this circuit. He’s got seven wins and finished sixth in a difficult 2025 season. The seven-time world champion hasn’t finished lower than sixth this year – even if the Ferrari isn’t much quicker over a race distance, there’s value taking Hamilton to finish in the top six as a single or in the top 10 in a Your Odds bet.

Pierre Gasly has finished in the top 10 in each of the three races he’s completed. Alpine had a few upgrades in Miami, and Franco Colapinto finished seventh, making it two top-10 finishes in three races. The youngster is good value for the top 10.