F1 Canadian GP 2026, Russell takes Sprint pole: Mercedes back on top in Montréal

Sprint Qualifying Canada: George Russell puts Mercedes back in front

Mercedes sends a strong message in the World Championship and does so on one of the most technical and unpredictable tracks on the calendar. George Russell takes pole position for the Sprint Race of the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix at the end of a fiercely contested Sprint Qualifying, sealed with a perfect lap in 1:12.965 that reignites the German team’s ambitions in the title fight.

At the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montréal, the Brit found the ideal feeling with the W17 straight away, making the most of a car that looked precise in the fast sections and very effective under braking. A performance that confirms the signs already seen in free practice and gives Russell a central role in the fight for the title.

Lando Norris will line up behind him with a McLaren still competitive over one lap, while the second Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli will start from the second row. Fourth place for Lewis Hamilton with Ferrari, ahead of Max Verstappen, still dealing with a Red Bull that is difficult to understand.

Mercedes finds speed and confidence again: Russell changes the face of the weekend

In Montréal, the feeling was clear from the first minutes on track: Mercedes made a decisive step forward. After weeks of ups and downs, the Brackley team seems to have found a more stable technical window, especially on tyre management and balance in slow corners.

Russell built the pole progressively, improving session after session until the decisive attack in SQ3. The Brit spoke of a car that was finally predictable in direction changes and much more competitive over the kerbs, a key aspect on the Canadian track.

The result carries even more weight considering the state of the championship. After Antonelli’s surge in the last races, Russell needed a strong response to stay attached to the internal Mercedes fight. Montréal could prove to be the turning point of his season.

Antonelli stays there: the World Championship leader keeps convincing

Even without pole, Kimi Antonelli continues to impress with his maturity and consistency. The young Italian finished third, always staying close to his team-mate’s benchmarks, confirming surprising solidity for a rookie.

The World Championship leader had already finished first in free practice and in Sprint Qualifying he also showed an extremely competitive pace. The difference compared to Russell was seen especially in the final sector, where the Brit managed to make better use of the track grip at the decisive moment.

Antonelli continues to project calm, though. In the paddock, the feeling is growing that the Italian talent has now reached an extraordinary technical awareness, a quality that is allowing him to withstand the pressure of an increasingly hard-fought World Championship.

Ferrari seeks a step forward: Hamilton is there, Leclerc still struggles

Ferrari leaves Montréal with mixed feelings. On one side there is the competitiveness shown by Lewis Hamilton, who produced a solid and aggressive qualifying effort that earns him the second row. On the other, the consistency issues over one lap remain and continue to limit Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton extracted the maximum from the SF-26 especially in the heaviest braking zones, confirming that he feels particularly at home with the characteristics of the Canadian circuit. The Brit highlighted the progress made by the team in the car’s balance, even if the gap to Mercedes shows that something is still missing in terms of traction on corner exit.

Leclerc’s situation is more complicated. The Monegasque continues to struggle to bring the tyres up to temperature quickly and in Montréal the problem returned at the decisive moment of the session.

Verstappen limits the damage: Red Bull still searching for balance

Max Verstappen’s fifth place perfectly sums up Red Bull’s current state. The Dutchman managed to limit the gap to the front runners, but the RB26 continues to show nervous and difficult behaviour.

During the day Verstappen had highlighted problems especially on corner entry and in managing the rear tyres. Even in Sprint Qualifying, the world champion alternated excellent sector times with mistakes caused by the car’s lack of stability.

Despite this, Verstappen remains one of the main contenders for Sprint victory. Montréal is a track where strategies can change rapidly and where Safety Car and red flags often turn everything upside down again.

Montréal confirms its chaos: incidents, red flags and surprises

Friday in Canada also delivered several episodes that complicated the teams’ work. Fernando Alonso ended up in the barriers, causing a red flag that halted the session, while Alexander Albon was forced to withdraw after the damage sustained in the impact with a marmot during free practice.

A complicated weekend too for Liam Lawson, stopped by a hydraulic problem that did not allow the team to complete the repairs in time for Sprint Qualifying.

The Gilles Villeneuve circuit is one of the most unpredictable tracks in Formula 1. Very close walls, heavy braking and constant changes in track conditions make every session extremely delicate, especially in a Sprint format where the time to correct mistakes is reduced to a minimum.

Sprint Race Canadian GP 2026: Mercedes favoured, but the race remains wide open

The Sprint Race promises spectacle and tension right to the chequered flag. Mercedes will start with the advantage of pole and with two cars in the top three positions, but McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull remain close enough to completely change the picture of the weekend.

Norris is banking on the speed shown in the middle sectors of the track, Hamilton will try to make use of experience and strategy, while Verstappen will look to turn a difficult qualifying into a champion’s comeback.

In Montréal, though, nothing is ever a foregone conclusion. And that is exactly what makes the Canadian Grand Prix one of the most fascinating events of the entire Formula 1 season.