George Russell delivered pole position for the Sprint at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, topping Sprint Qualifying in 1:12.965. The Mercedes driver led a front-row lockout for the team alongside Kimi Antonelli, with McLaren’s Lando Norris third.
The final segment unfolded in changeable conditions. Lewis Hamilton briefly split the two Mercedes after the opening runs, but the team reasserted itself and Russell ultimately edged Antonelli, reversing the order after the Italian had set the pace in FP1 earlier.
Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri struggled on their initial attempts, then found speed to secure P3 and P4 for McLaren. Hamilton finished P5 for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc in P6.
Red Bull filled the fourth row as Max Verstappen qualified seventh ahead of Isack Hadjar in eighth. Arvid Lindblad was ninth for Racing Bulls, and Carlos Sainz completed the top ten for Williams.
Sprint Qualifying results (top 20): - 1. George Russell, Mercedes — 1:12.965 - 2. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes — 1:13.033 - 3. Lando Norris, McLaren — 1:13.280 - 4. Oscar Piastri, McLaren — 1:13.299 - 5. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari — 1:13.326 - 6. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari — 1:13.410 - 7. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing — 1:13.504 - 8. Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing — 1:13.605 - 9. Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls — 1:13.737 - 10. Carlos Sainz, Williams — 1:14.536 - 11. Nico Hulkenberg, Audi — 1:14.595 - 12. Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi — 1:14.627 - 13. Franco Colapinto, Alpine — 1:14.702 - 14. Esteban Ocon, Haas — 1:14.928 - 15. Oliver Bearman, Haas — 1:15.197 - 16. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin — 1:15.760 - 17. Sergio Perez, Cadillac — 1:16.002 - 18. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin — 1:16.354 - 19. Pierre Gasly, Alpine — 1:16.642 - 20. Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac — 1:16.866
What’s next: attention now turns to the Sprint, with Mercedes aiming to convert its front-row advantage while McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull look to respond over the remainder of the weekend.
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*Originally published on [Formula News](https://newsformula.one/article/russell-takes-canada-sprint-pole-antonelli-p2-hamilton-p5). Visit for full coverage.*
