Image: from PitWall Pixels X @PitWallPixels
By Open Chronicle with agencies
George Russell delivered a commanding performance to claim pole position for the Sprint race at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, leading a dominant Mercedes one-two in a dramatic and tightly contested qualifying session at Montreal’s Gilles Villeneuve Circuit.
After Mercedes had already topped the only practice session earlier in the day, Russell confirmed the team’s strong pace by setting the fastest time of Sprint Qualifying with a lap of 1min12s965. Teammate Kimi Antonelli completed the front-row lockout just 0.068 seconds behind.
The Sprint race will take place Saturday afternoon, while the main Grand Prix qualifying session follows later in the evening ahead of Sunday’s 70-lap race.
Mercedes looked competitive from the opening minutes of SQ1, with Antonelli particularly impressive during the early runs. The Italian rookie briefly opened a sizeable gap to the field as Russell, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen exchanged fastest laps in a highly competitive opening phase.
Hamilton stood out early for Ferrari, producing a strong lap despite brushing dangerously close to the famous Wall of Champions. Verstappen also kept Red Bull in contention, while McLaren initially appeared slightly less competitive.
The session was interrupted by a red flag after Fernando Alonso lost control of his Aston Martin at Turn 3 and crashed into the barriers. Alonso emerged unharmed but was unable to continue.
The restart created chaos with less than two minutes remaining, triggering a frantic rush for the final laps. Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto found himself under pressure after struggling with cold tyres and briefly dropping to last place. However, the Audi driver recovered at the crucial moment to secure 15th and advance to SQ2 by the narrowest of margins.
Elsewhere, Alexander Albon failed to participate after Williams was forced to repair extensive damage caused earlier in practice when the Thai driver struck a marmot. Liam Lawson also endured a difficult session due to hydraulic problems on his Racing Bulls car.
Eliminated in SQ1 were Lawson, Albon, Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, and Sergio Pérez.
SQ2 became even more intense. Hamilton again briefly moved to the top before Russell and Antonelli restored Mercedes control. Verstappen struggled with track limits and narrowly escaped elimination.
Bortoleto once again fought for a place in SQ3 and temporarily climbed into the top ten, only to lose out in the closing moments. The Brazilian missed qualification for the final segment by just 0.080 seconds, ultimately finishing 12th.
The balance of performance throughout the session highlighted how competitive the Montreal weekend has become, with five different teams appearing near the front across various stages of qualifying.
In the decisive SQ3 session, Mercedes confirmed its superiority. Hamilton initially looked capable of challenging for pole before Russell delivered a faster lap to move clear at the top. Lando Norris improved late to take third temporarily, while Antonelli produced another excellent final effort to secure second place.
Russell, however, found even more pace on his final run, improving again to seal the Sprint pole position.
Norris finished third for McLaren ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. Hamilton ended up fifth for Ferrari, with teammate Charles Leclerc sixth. Verstappen could only manage seventh, while Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar impressed again in eighth.
Top 10 Sprint Grid, Canadian GP 2026
- George Russell, Mercedes, 1:12.965
- Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, +0.068
- Lando Norris, McLaren
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
- Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
- Carlos Sainz, Williams
Bortoleto will start 12th after narrowly missing out on SQ3, while Alonso’s crash leaves the Aston Martin driver near the back of the Sprint grid.