George Russell has declared that he is 'driving better than ever' following his triumphant win at the Canadian Grand Prix. This victory marks his first of the season and a significant personal redemption after last year's disappointment in Montreal.

Starting from pole position, Russell maintained his lead over Max Verstappen from the outset, controlling the race with precision. This win is Russell's first since Las Vegas in November and his fifth podium finish of the 2025 season. However, the race was not without controversy as Red Bull lodged a protest against Russell's driving behind the safety car in the final stages, following a collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Reflecting on his performance, Russell shared with Sky Sports, "It feels a bit of a redemption compared to last year because I was really disappointed with my performance last year and we should have won. It was my mistakes that let the team down but I'm in a different place right now and I feel like I'm driving better than ever. I felt pretty chilled throughout the whole race."

Russell, who has been with Mercedes since the 2022 season, is nearing the end of his current contract. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal, hinted that a new deal is imminent, stating, "The ambience in the team is great and we've agreed on some kind of timeline when we want to settle these things, with triple headers getting out of the way and one race after the other in June and July but we're going to get there."

In addition to Russell's victory, it was a successful day for Mercedes as rookie Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 podium, finishing third. At just 18 years and 294 days old, Antonelli becomes the third-youngest podium finisher in the sport's history.

Looking ahead, the next challenge for the teams is the Austrian Grand Prix from 27-29 June. Russell acknowledged the differences in track conditions, noting, "It's going to be on old tarmac, more high-speed corners and it's going to be hot as well. We've got three things working against us. I'm not going to sit here and say Mercedes is back because we were the quickest team here last year but we didn't win the championship. We know where we need to improve."