What to expect in Montreal as Russell searches for welcome victory

The Formula One season resumes in Canada this weekend as Mercedes look to continue their streak of winning every race. Kimi Antonelli has claimed three wins in a row to lead the championship by 20 points from team-mate George Russell. Here, the Press Association looks at what to expect this weekend.

Russell needs a win Mercedes have hit the ground running with the new regulations for this season and have the grid’s best car. Russell therefore was expected to be the dominant figure and an opening win in Melbourne pointed to that being the case. But Antonelli, 19, has turned the tables on his experienced team-mate, who was a long way off the pace three weeks ago in Miami.

That is not a track, by his own admission, that Russell enjoys. But Montreal is. He won from pole last year and was third the year before having been in winning contention for much of the race.

Russell shrugged off the early gap to his team-mate in Miami, but he needs a win in Montreal to stop those questions from coming again. Mercedes to pull further ahead? McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull brought big upgrade packages to Miami, with Mercedes bringing a smaller set.