Canadian Grand Prix Qualifying: George Russell Clinches Pole as Mercedes Locks Out Front Row in Montréal

Montreal, Canada, May 24, 2026: George Russell delivered a sensational final flying lap to secure pole position for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, leading a dominant Mercedes front-row lockout alongside rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli at the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Russell produced a stunning 1m12.578s effort in the closing moments of qualifying to edge Antonelli by just 0.068 seconds, while Lando Norris secured third for McLaren after briefly holding provisional pole during an intense Q3 session.

The cool Montréal conditions created a tyre warm-up challenge throughout qualifying, forcing several teams to experiment with double preparation laps to bring the front tyres into the ideal operating window. Norris appeared poised to claim pole after McLaren’s strong pace in the final segment, but Mercedes timed their runs perfectly as the track evolved.

Antonelli initially surged to provisional pole with a rapid lap before Russell responded moments later with the fastest time of the weekend, handing the Silver Arrows their second pole position of the 2026 season and a commanding front-row sweep.

The result also adds further intrigue after Russell and Antonelli made contact at Turn 1 during Saturday morning’s Sprint race. The Mercedes duo will once again share the front row for Sunday’s Grand Prix, with Norris and championship rival Oscar Piastri lining up directly behind them in third and fourth respectively.

Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for Ferrari, while reigning world champion Max Verstappen endured a difficult session but still managed sixth despite complaining over team radio that his car felt like it was “driving on ice”.

Isack Hadjar continued his impressive form with seventh for Red Bull, having earlier topped Q2 briefly, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished eighth after repeatedly expressing frustration with the car’s balance.

One of the standout performances came from Arvid Lindblad, who secured ninth for Racing Bulls after already scoring points in the Sprint race earlier in the day. Franco Colapinto rounded out the top 10 for Alpine.

Outside the top 10, Nico Hülkenberg narrowly missed Q3 by only 0.029 seconds for Audi. Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto were also eliminated in Q2.

It proved another difficult outing for Pierre Gasly, who could only manage 14th for Alpine, while Carlos Sainz qualified 15th for Williams.

Earlier in Q1, Antonelli had topped the timesheets with a 1m13.380s lap ahead of Norris and Piastri. The opening session saw eliminations for Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon, both Aston Martin drivers and both Cadillac entries, with Valtteri Bottas finishing last after running wide at Turn 1.

Full Qualifying Results – 2026 Canadian Grand Prix