Russell’s wins his fourth career GP while McLaren’s Lando Norris crashed out after touching teammate Oscar Piastri three laps from the finish.

George Russell won his first race of the Formula 1 season as the Mercedes driver held off defending race winner Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix.

It was the fourth victory of Russell’s career, and the race ended under a yellow flag when McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris staged a wheel-to-wheel late battle that ended with Norris hitting the wall on Sunday.

Russell started on pole for the second consecutive year in Montreal and held the advantage most of the race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The British driver became the fourth race winner this year, joining Piastri, Norris and Verstappen, the four-time reigning F1 champion.

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli finished third behind Verstappen for his first F1 podium.

The two McLarens came together when Norris, then in fifth, attempted to pass Piastri multiple times on the 67th lap out of 70.

Norris ultimately ran into Piastri and bounced into the wall, drawing a safety car for the final laps.

Piastri finished fourth, ending an eight-race podium streak dating back to the second race of the season. McLaren as a team failed to reach the top three for the first time this year.

Norris, who ended at a standstill by the side of the track with no front wing and a broken car, was quick to blame himself.

“I’m sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me,” he said over the team radio.

Piastri pitted as the safety car was deployed and rejoined with a tyre advantage over Antonelli that he could not use as the racing never resumed.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth with Fernando Alonso seventh for Aston Martin and Nico Hulkenberg bringing in more solid points for Sauber in eighth place.

Piastri stretches his lead over Norris in the drivers’ championship to 22 points after 10 of 24 races in the 2025 season.

The next race of the F1 season is the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29.

MEXICO CITY — Alex Bowman wasn’t sure he was going to make the trip to Mexico City because of lower back pain suffered in “the hardest hit of my career” at Michigan last week.

As late as Wednesday — the day before he was scheduled to leave for NASCAR’s first points-paying Cup Series race of the modern era outside the United States — the Hendrick Motorsports driver was so sore he didn’t know if he’d be able to get in the car.

He was still sore after two days of practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but it was after he got out of his No. 48 Chevrolet and not while he was driving. Bowman said his hit registered 50 G-force.

“I don’t know if on paper that’s the biggest (hit) I’ve ever taken, but it’s the most painful one I’ve ever taken, for sure,” Bowman said Saturday. “Even compared to when I broke my back, it’s way more pain than that was.”

Bowman last Sunday slammed hard into the wall at Michigan in a head-on impact at approximately 150 mph. The hit was so fierce that it lifted the rear wheels in the air. Although nothing was broken, he has severe lower back pain on his right side that shoots into his leg.

The 32-year-old kidded he’s been a bit of a “crash dummy” of late: Bowman missed five races in 2022 with a concussion suffered at Texas, and he broke his back in a 2023 sprint car crash that led Rick Hendrick to ban him from further extracurricular racing.

Although he’s ranked 13th in the Cup Series standings, he didn’t want to miss a race considering the recent slump Bowman is going through. He has finished 27th or worse in seven of the last nine races and has five finishes of 35th or worse.

Even though Bowman made it to Mexico City and says he feels fit enough inside the car, Anthony Alfredo is on standby in case Bowman can’t complete Sunday’s race on the 15-turn, 2.42-mile layout.

Alfredo, a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series, does simulator work for Hendrick Motorsports. He has 42 starts in the Cup Series, including one start earlier this year at Talladega Superspeedway.

Bowman, who qualified 29th, hopes to be able to complete the race.

“The goal is to get all the laps in and go from there,” Bowman said. “It hasn’t been a fun week at all. Wednesday was probably the worst day, but we’re here and ready to go. It’s all in the right side of my lower back and then through my lower right leg. Everything is really tight. It’s all muscular. Definitely a lot of pain.”

SHANE IN THE RAIN

Shane Van Gisbergen won the pole for Sunday’s race in Mexico City in a rain-shortened qualifying session.

The New Zealander got in three qualifying laps and took the top spot with a lap of 93.904 mph to put his No. 88 Chevrolet from Trackhouse Racing out front.

Van Gisbergen proved to be a master of racing on a wet road course in his NASCAR debut when he won on the rain-drenched street course in Chicago in 2023. That victory led to a career change for Van Gisbergen, who was an Australian V8 Supercars champion but made the move to NASCAR after shocking the Cup Series with his Chicago win.

With rain expected Sunday in Mexico City, many believe Van Gisbergen is the favorite to pick up his second career Cup victory.

“I don’t know, that’s your guys’ jobs, but I do know that we will be competitive if we get everything right,” he said. “It’s so hard to know what the car’s going to be like — it’s a different track, how it’s going to be affected by the altitude and the surface. We should be up front. These are the types of tracks I’m good at, so we’ll see.”

But, he added he actually despises racing in the rain despite his superior skills at maneuvering slick surfaces.

“I absolutely hate racing in the rain, but I’m good at it,” he said. “I’d rather it didn’t rain, but if it happens, we put the wets on and go. I just don’t enjoy it. It’s just never fun. You’re always sliding around, and it just turns stuff into chaos. It’s fun to watch, but I don’t really enjoy driving.”

Ryan Preece in a Ford for RFK Racing qualified second and was followed by Ross Chastain, Van Gisbergen’s teammate at Trackhouse. Ty Gibbs in fourth was the highest qualifying Toyota driver.

NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman has shared an emotional tribute on X after the passing of his team owner, Charlie Henderson. The official announcement from Henderson Motorsports was made on Saturday in Mexico.

Kligerman has raced for Henderson Motorsports since 2017 and admitted that Charlie and his family came to his rescue during challenging phases of his career. Kligerman’s most recent Truck Series win with the team was at Daytona. Unfortunately, his truck was disqualified in the post-race inspection.

One point Kligerman mentioned about Charlie was that he prioritized team interest to win, even if the decision was not financially viable. Kligerman stated on X:

“Very sad day for this sport and the Henderson family. Charlie, his whole family & this race team have meant so much to me over the last decade.

“When I first got to Henderson motorsports I’ll never forget looking at a banner in their race shop full of the amazing drivers who had driven for them since the 70s. True hero’s of the sport

“I wasn’t sure if my name would make it up on that banner but by the time we got our first win, I knew I had a home.

“Charlie and his family in some of my tougher moments in my racing career, have always been there to give me a shot and truly believed in me when many others didn’t. And together we have done some incredible things!

“And It was all led by Charlie, who would always push us to make the cars faster, he’d ask us incessantly, ‘what do you need to win?’ He was so dedicated even when it wasn’t in his best financial interest!

“But no matter what he would always text me ahead of races including this year starting about 3 months before Daytona, he would send me morning text that said ‘We will Daytona!’

“A couple months later we did. Unfortunately he wasn’t there but seeing him afterwards, that meant the world to him.

“Of all his racing he wanted to win Talladega, Daytona and Bristol. He got those.

“Thank you Charlie for being the incredible, supportive, passionate racer that myself and many other racers owe a debt of gratitude for your support and love of racing.”

Henderson Motorsports released a statement after Charlie’s passing.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our team owner, Charlie Henderson. Charlie was not only the driving force behind Henderson Motorsports, but also a beloved member of the NASCAR community and a dear friend to us all.

“Charlie was the second longest active team owner in NASCAR, behind only the Wood Brothers. He began his racing career at Kingsport Speedway in 1975 and had been a part of NASCAR since 1982. His passion for racing, commitment to his team, and love for the sport left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him.

“He built this team on hard work, family values, and a love for competition that will continue to inspire us moving forward.

“We are grateful for the many years of leadership, friendship, and memories that Charlie gave to Henderson Motorsports and the entire NASCAR community. We ask that you keep the Henderson family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Our thoughts are with the Henderson family.

The best in NASCAR head south of the border for the first time ever on Sunday, as the Cup Series gets set to host the Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

• Stream NASCAR on Prime Video (30-day free trial)

This is shaping up to be a very intriguing event. Not only is it the second road course race of the 2025 season, but the NCS is really heading into a great unknown with racing in Mexico City. The track has been famous for running Formula 1 events in the past, but hardly ever seeing stock cars take to sharp corners.

For a few years, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, formerly known as the Busch Series, used to run at the Autodromo, with names like Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch having won races at the track.

However, that circuit was specifically designed for NASCAR. The circuit today’s drivers will be turning on is the similar circuit that F1 and other motorsport series compete on.

After last weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway, where Denny Hamlin beat out William Byron, Hamlin moves up to third in driver’s points with three wins on the year, trailing Byron and Kyle Larson in the standings.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Viva Mexico 250

When: Sunday, June 15

Time: 3 p.m. ET

Where: Autodromo Hermanso Rodriguez (Mexico City, Mexico)

Stream: Prime Video (30-day free trial)

Check out the NASCAR schedule and results here

The NASCAR Mexico Series has been around for over 20 years, but the NASCAR Cup Series visiting the country for a points race has never been seen before. That will change with the 2025 Viva México 250, which takes place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET from Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. NASCAR at Mexico City has been years in the making, and not only is it the first Cup Series race in the nation, but the Viva México 250 2025 is also the first race outside the U.S. since 1958. With a novel race like this one, a unique name appears at the top of the 2025 NASCAR at Mexico City odds board. Shane van Gisbergen, who has no top-fives this season, is the +330 favorite due to his past road race success.

Christopher Bell, who has three wins in 2025, follows at +700, with other 2025 NASCAR Mexico City contenders including William Byron (+800) and Kyle Larson (+800). Before entering any 2025 Viva Mexico 250 picks, NASCAR DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, or locking in NASCAR props on sites like PrizePicks, Sleeper Fantasy, and Underdog Fantasy, be sure to see the latest 2025 NASCAR at Mexico predictions from SportsLine’s proven projection model.

Developed by daily Fantasy pro and SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, this proprietary NASCAR prediction model simulates every race 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as track history and recent results.

The model began its 2025 season by calling Chase Elliott to win for a +300 payout at the Clash at Bowman Gray and was also high on Byron as a +2000 longshot at Daytona. Then it predicted Kyle Larson’s win in Miami for a +350 payout, Christopher Bell’s +600 triumph in the NASCAR All-Star Race and Denny Hamlin’s +650 victory in Michigan. In 2024, it nailed Larson to win in Las Vegas for a 21-5 sports betting payout and predicted Denny Hamlin’s wins in Bristol at 5-1 and Richmond at 17-4.

It also impressively nailed five of Larson’s wins during his historic season in 2021. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 22 winners since 2021. Anyone who followed its lead on betting apps and sportsbooks on those NASCAR picks could have seen huge returns. New users also have the opportunity to take advantage of the latest Bet365 promo code, Caesars Sportsbook promo code and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

Now, the model simulated the 2025 Viva Mexico 250 10,000 times. Head to SportsLine to see the complete projected NASCAR at Mexico City leaderboard.

Top 2025 Viva Mexico 250 predictions

For the 2025 Viva Mexico 250, the model is high on Michael McDowell, even though he’s a +2200 longshot in the latest 2025 NASCAR at Mexico odds. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. After starting his racing career as an open-wheeler, McDowell didn’t transition to stock car racing until 2006 as a 21-year-old. However, he had raced his way into the NASCAR Cup Series by 2008 and he’s been a fixture ever since.

The 40-year-old has 45 career top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s top level and 11 of those runs were on road courses while two more came in the Chicago Street Race. McDowell won the 2023 Verizon 200 on the grand prix circuit at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and he also ran extremely well in the only other road race so far this season. McDowell led three laps and collected stage points with a third-place finish in Stage 2 and then finished 11th despite suffering a pass-through penalty when his pit crew went over the wall early. BetMGM is offering the best odds here for McDowell and you can also build in first-bet insurance with the latest BetMGM promo code:

The only Mexican driver to win on the Cup Series, Suarez was a regular on the NASCAR Mexico Series early in his career. He not only has experience at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with 13 starts at the track, but he has success there as well. He’s a three-time winner at the track, with another pair of top-5 finishes. Additionally, Suarez’ last start on the NASCAR Mexico Series was a victory in Feb. 2024, which came just weeks before his last win on the Cup Series.

After finishing 20th or worse in each of his first five Cup Series seasons, Suarez has placed inside the top 20 each of the last three years. He’s been up and down in 2025 but is coming off a pair of top-20 finishes, and as long as he avoids vehicle issues, he’s usually always in contention. Suarez enters Sunday’s race with five straight top 20s overall — including three top 10s — in races in which his car didn’t suffer an accident. Suarez described racing in Mexico City on the Cup Series “a dream come true”, so the motivation factor shouldn’t be discounted as the model has him notching his second top 5 of the season. The model sees +200 odds at FanDuel as plenty of value, and new users can also get the latest FanDuel promo code. See which other drivers to avoid and the rest of the projected NASCAR leaderboard at SportsLine.

How to make 2025 NASCAR at Mexico picks

The model is also targeting three other drivers with Mexico NASCAR odds of 12-1 or longer to make a serious run at the checkered flag. Anyone who backs these drivers could hit it big. You can see all of the model’s NASCAR picks, props, and projected leaderboard over at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2025 Viva Mexico 250, and which longshots are must-backs? Check out the latest 2025 NASCAR at Mexico odds below, then visit SportsLine now to see the full NASCAR Mexico projected leaderboard, all from the model that has nailed 22 winners, and find out.

2025 NASCAR Mexico odds, drivers, lineup

See the full NASCAR at Mexico picks at SportsLine

Shane Van Gisbergen +330
Christopher Bell +700
William Byron +800
Tyler Reddick +800
Kyle Larson +800
Chase Elliott +1000
AJ Allmendinger +1200
Kyle Busch +1400
Daniel Suarez +1400
Chris Buescher +1600
Ross Chastain +1800
Michael McDowell +1800
Alex Bowman +2500
Carson Hocevar +2800
Chase Briscoe +3000
Ty Gibbs +3000
Austin Cindric +3500
Denny Hamlin +4000
Ryan Blaney +4000
Joey Logano +5500
Todd Gilliland +15000
Bubba Wallace +15000
Brad Keselowski +15000
Noah Gragson +20000
Ryan Preece +20000
Justin Haley +20000
Austin Dillon +20000
Zane Smith +25000
Cole Custer +25000
Josh Berry +30000
Riley Herbst +30000
Erik Jones +30000
Ricky Stenhouse +40000
John Hunter Nemechek +40000
Ty Dillon +100000
Katherine Legge +100000
Cody Ware +100000