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George Russell underlined Mercedes’ resurgence by claiming Sprint pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix, capping a dramatic and tightly fought Sprint Qualifying session at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. On a weekend already marked as a milestone — the first Sprint event ever held in Montreal — Russell delivered a superb lap of 1:12.965 to edge out his in-form team mate Kimi Antonelli by just 0.068s, with McLaren and Ferrari firmly in the hunt behind.
Mercedes arrived in Canada with significant upgrades and, after fears they might simply disappear into the distance, the reality proved far more compelling. Russell’s pole was hard-earned rather than dominant, with the top eight drivers covered by just over six tenths of a second. Still, it marked a timely response after a difficult Miami weekend.
Speaking after the session, Russell was visibly relieved. “Obviously feels great after a tough Miami, but I never doubted myself. This is an amazing circuit, high grip, and I’m glad today came together,” he said. “It feels great to be back in P1 — it’s been a while.”
Antonelli, championship leader coming into the weekend, again demonstrated why he is considered the benchmark of 2026. He pushed Russell all the way in SQ3 and looked threatening throughout, briefly topping the times during the session before settling for second.
McLaren’s Sprint Qualifying performance confirmed their upward trajectory. Lando Norris secured third place, just three tenths off pole, with Oscar Piastri only 0.019s behind his team mate in fourth. Their strong starts have been a theme this season, and with both papaya cars lining up on the second row, Mercedes will be under immediate pressure when the Sprint gets underway.
Ferrari were equally impressive. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc locked out fifth and sixth, separated by just 0.084s. Hamilton, who has an exceptional record in Montreal, looked aggressive throughout SQ2 and SQ3, briefly topping the timing screens before Mercedes responded. The Ferraris’ reputation for quick launches could make them major players in the opening laps of the Sprint.
Max Verstappen endured a messy Sprint Qualifying, with deleted laps and a late dash to escape elimination in SQ2. Ultimately seventh was the best he could manage, just ahead of team mate Isack Hadjar in eighth. The margins were tiny, but it was a rare session where Red Bull were not dictating the pace.
One of the standout stories was Arvid Lindblad. On his first visit to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, the Racing Bulls rookie delivered a superb ninth place, comfortably making SQ3 and continuing to impress despite limited preparation time earlier in the weekend.
Carlos Sainz completed the top ten for Williams after a tense SQ2, where he only just survived elimination amid traffic, deleted laps and timing drama.
Sprint Qualifying was not without incident. SQ1 was red-flagged after Fernando Alonso suffered a heavy lock-up at Turn 3 and slid straight into the barriers. The Aston Martin driver emerged unhurt, but his session was over, adding to a list of high-profile eliminations that included Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas.
The interruption triggered frantic scenes in the pit lane as drivers queued for track position, leading to multiple investigations for failing to follow Race Director instructions — though all were later cleared.
With no mandatory pit stops and medium tyres likely to be the choice from lights to flag, tomorrow’s Sprint promises close, hard racing. Mercedes may have pole, but with McLaren and Ferrari stacked closely behind — and tight gaps across the field — the run to Turn 1 in Montreal could be decisive.
Dry but cloudy conditions are forecast, with a rubbered-in track expected to offer even more grip. If Sprint Qualifying is anything to go by, the first Sprint in Canada is set to deliver plenty of action.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.