George Russell Secures Sprint Pole in Canada Ahead of Mercedes Team-Mate Antonelli

Posted : 23 May 2026

George Russell produced an impressive response to a challenging start to the season by securing sprint pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.

Russell delivered the fastest lap in both final qualifying runs at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, finishing just 0.068 seconds ahead of Antonelli. The result marked an important boost for the British driver, who entered the weekend trailing the Italian by 20 points in the championship standings after four races.

Mercedes appeared revitalised following the introduction of a major upgrade package for the Canadian round. Russell praised the impact of the changes, saying the car felt significantly improved and much more competitive around the high-speed Montreal circuit.

Antonelli, who has already claimed three victories this season, admitted his qualifying session had not been entirely smooth. The young Italian explained that tyre temperature issues at the start of his lap affected his rhythm and described the session as untidy despite securing second place.

Lando Norris led the McLaren challenge in third position, narrowly ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren also introduced upgrades for the race weekend, although the improvements were not enough to match Mercedes’ pace in qualifying.

Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc secured fifth and sixth respectively, while Max Verstappen finished seventh ahead of teammate Isack Hadjar.

Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his qualifying performance after making setup adjustments and deciding against using Ferrari’s simulator before the event. The seven-time world champion said the car felt more comfortable than at any stage earlier this season.

Verstappen, however, struggled with handling issues throughout the session. The Red Bull driver complained about instability over the bumps and said the rear of the car made it difficult to maintain consistency.

Further down the order, British rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed by reaching ninth place for Racing Bulls, while Fernando Alonso’s qualifying session ended in frustration after a crash prevented him from progressing further.

The Aston Martin driver admitted he had pushed beyond the car’s limits while attempting to compensate for a lack of pace. The incident caused a lengthy interruption late in the session, limiting opportunities for improvement among several drivers.

George Russell Secures Sprint Pole in Canada Ahead of Mercedes Team-Mate Antonelli

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