George Russell took the Russell Canadian GP pole after beating Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.068 seconds in sprint qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
Russell topped both runs in the final qualifying phase. The result gave Mercedes a front-row lockout after the team brought a major upgrade to Canada.
Lando Norris put McLaren third, 0.315 seconds off pole. Teammate Oscar Piastri followed in fourth, 0.019 seconds behind Norris.
Ferrari filled the third row, with Lewis Hamilton ahead of Charles Leclerc. Red Bull followed, as Max Verstappen qualified seventh ahead of Isack Hadjar.
Russell said the result felt good after a difficult weekend in Miami. He said the upgraded Mercedes felt strong around the high-grip Montreal circuit.
George Russell's incredible pole position lap in the sprint qualifying!#F1 #Formula1 #CanadianGP #F1Sprintpic.twitter.com/foW8KFabyu
— Extreme Cars (@extremecarsf1) May 23, 2026Antonelli said his session was “messy” after starting his lap with tyres below temperature. The Italian entered the weekend 20 points ahead of Russell after winning three of the first four grands prix.
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Hamilton said Ferrari delivered one of its best qualifying sessions of the season. Meanwhile, Verstappen said his Red Bull was “jumping” at the rear, making the car hard to drive over bumps.
