Canadian GP: Russell beats Antonelli to Sprint qualifying pole

George Russell reignited his 2026 Formula 1 title push by securing Sprint pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix, edging out Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli in a tense qualifying shoot-out at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Armed with a heavily upgraded W17, Mercedes finally appeared to turn potential into outright pace, with Russell delivering when it mattered most in SQ3.

The Briton led after the first runs before extracting even more performance from his soft tyres on the final attempt, posting a 1m12.965s. Antonelli, the last driver on track, lit up the timing screens in the final sector but ultimately fell just 0.068s short.

• Canadian Grand Prix - Sprint qualifying results

The session marked an important momentum swing after Antonelli had largely held the upper hand in recent rounds. Mercedes looked sharp throughout sprint qualifying, particularly in the medium-tyre SQ2 segment where Russell topped the times with a commanding 1m13.026s – nearly half a second clear of the field.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri claimed third and fourth for McLaren, though the upgraded MCL38 still conceded roughly three tenths to Mercedes in the first competitive running of the weekend.

Ferrari locked out the third row, with Lewis Hamilton getting the better of Charles Leclerc.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen endured a difficult evening. The reigning Red Bull driver could manage only seventh as both he and team-mate Isack Hadjar struggled with grip over Montreal’s unforgiving bumps.

Alonso crash sparks SQ1 chaos

The opening phase of qualifying was thrown into disarray when Fernando Alonso crashed at Turn 3 after locking up and sliding straight into the barriers.

Although Alonso technically qualified for SQ2, the damage prevented him from taking any further part in the session.

The red flag left just 1m46 remaining and triggered a frantic scramble for drivers near the elimination zone. As Hamilton topped SQ1, several contenders barely made it back to the line in time for a final attempt.

Pierre Gasly was one of the biggest casualties, failing to start a final flyer and ending up 19th. Sergio Perez was also eliminated early in 17th.

Further up the order, impressive rookie Arvid Lindblad continued his strong Montreal form with ninth place, ahead of Carlos Sainz.

Albon and Lawson unable to start

There were also two notable absentees from the session.

Alex Albon was ruled out after his heavy free practice crash caused by striking a groundhog forced extensive repairs and component changes.

Liam Lawson likewise failed to participate after hydraulic problems in practice left his car stranded earlier in the day.

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