Russell edges Antonelli for Canadian GP sprint pole

George Russell claimed his second sprint pole of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix, narrowly outpacing championship-leading Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. The Briton's 1m12.965s in SQ3 was 0.068s clear of Antonelli, with Lando Norris third for McLaren, three-tenths off.

Why it matters:

Mercedes' one-two in sprint qualifying reinforces its resurgence as the team to beat in 2026. Russell, often overshadowed by Antonelli's title charge, proves he can deliver under pressure on a track where driver confidence in changing conditions is critical.

The details:

• Norris recovered from a first-run error to take third, ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
• Max Verstappen managed only seventh for Red Bull, with teammate Isack Hadjar eighth. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed in ninth.
• Williams' upgrades paid off: Carlos Sainz made SQ3 for the first time this season, qualifying 10th. Franco Colapinto's Alpine was sidelined by a power unit issue after just one practice lap.
• Haas brought its first major 2026 upgrade to Montreal but struggled — Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman were slowest in SQ2.
• Fernando Alonso crashed in SQ1 but still advanced as his 14th-place time stood, while Pierre Gasly was the big-name elimination in 19th.
• Alex Albon (Williams) and Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) missed the session entirely after separate incidents in practice.

What's next:

The sprint race later today will test Mercedes' race pace against McLaren and Ferrari. Russell's pole gives him a strong shot at a second sprint win in 2026, but tire degradation in Montreal's cool conditions could reshuffle the order.