Canadian GP Sprint Qualifying: George Russell pips Kimi Antonelli to pole in Montreal with Lando Norris in third
George Russell led a Mercedes one-two in Sprint Qualifying as he beat championship leader and team-mate Kimi Antonelli to pole; watch the Sprint at 5pm on Saturday live on Sky Sports F1, build-up from 4pm; Grand Prix Qualifying follows at 9pm
Friday 22 May 2026 23:51, UK
George Russell pipped Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli to Sprint pole at the Canadian Grand Prix in a dramatic battle at the end of Sprint Qualifying.
Russell, who is 20 points behind Antonelli after seeing the Italian teenager win the last three Grands Prix, beat Antonelli by just 0.068s as Mercedes' upgrades for Montreal put them further ahead of the field.
McLaren locked out the second row with Lando Norris recovering from a mistake in SQ3 to snatch third from team-mate Oscar Piastri, but the pair were over three tenths behind Russell.
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"This feels great after a tough Miami but I never doubted myself. I know what I can do. Miami is unique but this is an amazing circuit with high grip," said Russell.
"It feels you are driving a proper F1 car around here, which is how it should be. It came together"
Lewis Hamilton topped SQ1 and was second in SQ2, only to be jumped by the McLarens when it mattered most but still qualified fifth, ahead of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in sixth.
Hamilton revealed he did not test the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on the simulator and the move seems to have paid off as he beat Leclerc in a competitive session on the track for the first time since the second round in China.
The Noah's Ark top eight is completed by Red Bull with Max Verstappen in seventh and Isack Hadjar in eighth.
Britain's Arvid Lindblad was ninth in Sprint Qualifying on his first Montreal outing, with Williams' Carlos Sainz in 10th.
Sainz's team-mate Alex Albon was unable to take part in the session after hitting a groundhog in practice earlier on Friday.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso also caused a red flag in the first part of Sprint Qualifying with a shunt at Turn 3.
Russell lands first punch on big weekend
After being outperformed all weekend last time out in Miami, Russell had to wait three weeks to land a punch back, knowing he has historically been strong at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, having converted pole position into victory in Canada last year.
Antonelli came flying out of the blocks by topping the only practice session but Russell ramped things up when he went quickest in SQ2 and delivered a strong banker lap in SQ3.
But, the dusty track was evolving all the time and Russell, so the British driver went even faster onto a 1:12.965 which nobody could beat.
Antonelli was the last driver to cross the line but ended up 0.068s slower, despite a purple final sector. Hamilton also looked like a threat when he set the fastest first sector but Ferrari's power unit deficiencies over the rest of the lap and a small mistake from Hamilton at the hairpin cost him any chance of a shock Sprint pole.
Both McLarens were slower than Hamilton throughout Sprint Qualifying until the last laps of SQ3 but will be concerned by their three tenths deficit to Mercedes, having been able to challenge the Silver Arrows in Miami.
"I think it's a fair margin considering they [Mercedes] had important upgrades here," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella told Sky Sports F1.
"We also had some upgrades. We actually wanted to take a bit more time to see the behaviour of the front wing, so we raced with the previous front wing.
"So, looking at the fact that the car is pretty much the Miami car, it's a gap that remains encouraging."
Sky Sports F1's Canadian GP schedule
Saturday May 23
2.40pm: F1 Academy Race 1
4pm: Canadian GP Sprint build-up
5pm: CANADIAN GP SPRINT
6.30pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
7pm: F2 Sprint*
8.10pm: Canadian GP Qualifying build-up*
9pm: CANADIAN GP QUALIFYING*
11pm: F1 Academy Race 2*
11.45pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook*
Sunday May 24
3.40pm: F1 Academy Race 3
5pm: F2 Feature Race
7.30pm: Canadian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
9pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX*
11am: Canadian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
12am: Ted's Notebook*
*Also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix and another Sprint weekend. Watch live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday's race at 9pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
