Canadian Grand Prix 2026: Russell takes pole
George Russell took pole for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix by 0.068s from Andrea Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes locked out the front row.
George Russell took pole position for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a 1:12.578 lap in Q3. Andrea Kimi Antonelli qualified second for Mercedes, 0.068s behind Russell, as the team secured a front-row lockout.
Qualifying
Lando Norris qualified third for McLaren with a 1:12.729 in Q3, and Oscar Piastri followed in fourth with a 1:12.781. Lewis Hamilton took fifth for Ferrari on a 1:12.868 lap, while Max Verstappen qualified sixth for Red Bull with a 1:12.907.
Further back in the top 10, Isack Hadjar placed seventh for Red Bull with a 1:12.935 in Q3. Charles Leclerc qualified eighth for Ferrari on 1:12.976, ahead of Arvid Lindblad in ninth for RB F1 Team with 1:13.280 and Franco Colapinto in 10th for Alpine F1 Team with 1:13.697.
Front row
Russell progressed through the session with times of 1:13.953 in Q1, 1:13.079 in Q2 and 1:12.578 in Q3. Antonelli opened with a 1:13.380 in Q1, improved to 1:13.076 in Q2 and then set 1:12.646 in Q3.
Grid
McLaren filled the second row with Norris third and Piastri fourth for round 5 of the season on 24 May 2026. Ferrari lined up fifth and eighth through Hamilton and Leclerc, while Red Bull started sixth and seventh with Verstappen and Hadjar.