Canadian Grand Prix: George Russell snatches Sprint pole as Fernando Alonso crashes

George Russell claimed an important pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint, seeing off Mercedes teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Lewis Hamilton and then Lando Norris thought they had secured a front row start, but Antonelli struck right at the end to bag a Mercedes front-row lockout. Fernando Alonso uncharacteristically crashed out, costing the Aston Martin driver a chance to compete in SQ2.

George Russell hits back with Canadian GP Sprint pole

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Only 20 drivers went into battle for the start of SQ1 in Montreal.

Alex Albon’s Williams could not be repaired in time after his unfortunate groundhog-induced crash during FP1. Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls was also parked after his stoppage during the sole practice session.

Medium tyres were mandatory for SQ1 and SQ2.

Hamilton’s 1:15.459 was the opening time to chase.

Run one belonged comfortably to Kimi Antonelli, who went P1 by half a second from Verstappen, and eight tenths clear of Russell in the sister Mercedes.

Hamilton struck back, uncorking a 1:13.922 to go 0.088s up on Antonelli. Russell straight-lined the final chicane and aborted his latest lap.

Hamilton found another three hundredths the next time around, and just in time as the red flag flew. Fernando Alonso was in the wall at Turn 3.

Major disappointment for Aston Martin and Alonso, who was set to make SQ2 in a marked improvement for team and driver.

Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez were the drivers currently in the elimination zone, alongside an Albon and Lawson resigned to their fate.

Getting a final lap on the board, as the session resumed with one minute and 46 seconds left on the clock, would not be a straightforward task.

Only Hamilton, Sainz and Stroll made it over the line in time to start a lap.

Sainz straight-lined the final chicane, Stroll backed out, so Lawson, Albon, Bottas, Gasly, Stroll and Perez were the drivers out in SQ1.

Alonso, despite his crash, progressed to the second stage of qualifying in any form for the first time in F1 2026.

The mediums were still required as the 10-minute FP2 got underway.

Russell established an early Mercedes one-two, but it was tight. Antonelli was within nine hundredths, while Hamilton was just 0.171s off the pace.

Verstappen’s time was struck off for a track limits breach at Turn 4, so had to go again. He managed P9 only, as Hamilton went fastest by 0.001s. Russell struck back to go four tenths clear of Hamilton.

Hulkenberg, Bearman, Ocon, Colapinto and Bortoleto were in danger of joining Alonso in elimination.

Verstappen returned to the pits, as the nervous wait began. He clung on to an SQ3 spot.

Alonso, Bearman, Ocon, Colapinto, Bortoleto and Hulkenberg were out.

SQ3 time, and the soft tyres were coming out to play to determine the Canadian GP Sprint polesitter.

More Canadian Grand Prix talking points via PlanetF1.com

Laurent Mekies reveals GianPiero Lambiase’s McLaren talks centred on team principal role

Lewis Hamilton quips Gilles Villeneuve was ‘obviously far better’ than Jacques

Hamilton slipped and slid his way to abandoning a first flying lap attempt. Take two was the charm, as Hamilton clocked a 1:13.411.

Verstappen popped up to form a mouth-watering provisional front row, but Mercedes were about to change that.

Pole for George Russell, as it stood, but Hamilton, after a simulator-free Montreal approach, was provisionally on the front row for the Canadian GP Sprint.

Hamilton was going again, but could not improve on P2. Norris made him pay, muscling onto the front row.

But, Russell stretched his lead, and Antonelli popped up when it counted to ensure a Mercedes front-row lockout.

SQ3 results

1 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.965
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.068
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.315
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.334
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.361
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.445
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.539
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing +0.640
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.772
10 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.571

SQ2 results

1 George Russell Mercedes 1:13.026
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.439
3 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.525
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.528
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.832
6 Lando Norris McLaren +0.931
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.114
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing +1.213
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +1.386
10 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.521
11 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1.569
12 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.601
13 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.676
14 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.902
15 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +2.279
16 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin No time

SQ1 results

1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:13.889
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.121
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.139
4 Lando Norris McLaren +0.376
5 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.628
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing +0.652
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.776
8 George Russell Mercedes +0.883
9 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.117
10 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.595
11 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.611
12 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1.784
13 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.871
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.871
15 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.912
16 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +1.983
17 Sergio Perez Cadillac +2.113
18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.465
19 Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.753
20 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +2.977
21 Alexander Albon Williams No time
22 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls No time

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Continue reading – F1 2026 Canadian Grand Prix schedule: Sprint weekend practice, qualifying and race times