Qualifying Times Overview
Before the sprint race begins, here are the complete qualifying times:
1 George Russell (GB) Mercedes 1min 12.965sec
2 Kimi Antonelli (It) Mercedes 1:13.033
3 Lando Norris (GB) McLaren 1:13.280
4 Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:13.299
5 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Ferrari 1:13.326
6 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:13.410
7 Max Verstappen (Neth) Red Bull 1:13.504
8 Isack Hadjar (Fr) Red Bull 1:13.605
9 Arvid Lindblad (GB) Racing Bulls 1:13.737
10 Carlos Sainz Jr (Sp) Williams 1:14.536
11 Nico Hülkenberg (Ger) Audi 1:14.595
12 Gabriel Bortoleto (Br) Audi 1:14.627
13 Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine 1:14.702
14 Esteban Ocon (Fr) Haas 1:14.928
15 Oliver Bearman (GB) Haas 1:15.305
16 Fernando Alonso (Sp) Aston Martin 1:15.760
17 Sergio Pérez (Mex) Cadillac 1:16.002
18 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:16.354
19 Pierre Gasly (Fr) Alpine 1:16.642
20 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Cadillac 1:16.866
21 Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams
22 Liam Lawson (NZ) Racing B
Note that Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, and Alexander Albon will start from the pit lane due to various modifications and setup changes made outside parc fermé regulations. Bearman had modifications outside parc fermé; Gasly underwent suspension work; Bottas had setup and suspension changes; and Albon had setup changes.
Challenges Affecting the Canadian GP Weekend
The Canadian Grand Prix weekend has presented numerous challenges for many participants. As Robbie Burns might have said, the best-laid plans of marmots and men in Montreal often go awry.
There have been multiple red flags disrupting sessions. During free practice, Liam Lawson experienced a loss of power steering and stopped by a chicane. This incident resulted in a €30,000 part-suspended fine for Racing Bulls, as the FIA determined the team failed to ensure Lawson's clutch disengagement system button was functioning properly. Subsequently, Alex Albon's Williams was involved in a collision with one of the aforementioned marmots, following in the difficult tyre tracks. Esteban Ocon spun his Haas into a wall, necessitating a new nose for his car. Neither Lawson nor Albon managed to reach the start line for sprint qualifying.
Once competitive driving resumed, Fernando Alonso crashed out while pushing his Aston Martin hard to qualify for Q2. Although he theoretically made it into Q2, Alonso struck a wall after setting his time, ending his participation and causing a lengthy delay on Île Notre Dame.
While Racing Bulls, Williams, and Aston Martin continue to prepare for the sprint race, the event organizers face concerns about the weather. Although conditions are expected to be clear today, heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow, increasing the likelihood of further red flags.
Mercedes Leads as Canadian GP Progresses
Looking ahead to 2026, Mercedes appears poised to maintain a strong presence at the front of the grid. George Russell, in particular, is having a successful weekend so far. The British driver, motivated by teammate Kimi Antonelli's recent winning streak and currently 20 points behind in the standings, narrowly secured sprint pole position ahead of Antonelli.
This weekend marks the first appearance of Mercedes's latest development upgrades, following other teams’ major updates introduced in Miami. As Giles Richards, F1 correspondent, noted:
“Certainly, should Mercedes have made the same advances that their rivals did in Miami, they will retain the whip hand – and with it the intensity of the title fight between their drivers, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, will surely ratchet up.”
Mercedes secured the front row lockout, with McLaren occupying the second row (Norris then Piastri), Ferrari on the third row (Hamilton then Leclerc), Red Bull on the fourth row (Verstappen and Hadjar), and Racing Bull and Williams drivers on the fifth row (Lindblad then Sainz).
Russell’s margin over Antonelli was a slim 0.068 seconds, a crucial advantage. Giles Richards further commented:
“The 19-year-old Antonelli, in only his second season in F1, has been enormously impressive, having won the last three races in a row to lead the world championship by 20 points from his far more experienced teammate. Russell, the pre‑season favourite, who could manage only fourth in Miami, unsurprisingly had to bat away inquiries in Canada as to whether he was starting to feel the pressure.
“It’s been a turbulent start but the truth is Miami felt like the first tough race of the season,” he said. “It’s still so early days and I know how to deal with it. It’s not the first time in my career that I’ve had a bad race or two but in this sport it does change so quickly: one week you have a tough race and the next week you come back and everything goes back to normal.”
Looking Ahead
Coverage will resume from 4.30pm BST / 11.30am EDT to follow the sprint race developments. Meanwhile, readers are encouraged to review Giles Richards’s full preview of the weekend for additional insights.
