Russell beats Antonelli as Mercedes lock out front row for Canada Sprint

George Russell claimed pole for the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint, beating championship-leading Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by just 0.068 seconds. The Silver Arrows locked out the front row in a two-by-two order ahead of McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, marking a strong start for Mercedes’ major upgrade package on the W17.

Why it matters:

Mercedes’ dominant Sprint qualifying performance signals a potential shift in the competitive order. With Antonelli leading the drivers’ standings, a one-two in Montreal could consolidate their championship push and put pressure on rivals McLaren and Red Bull, who have struggled to match the Silver Arrows’ pace on Montreal’s bumpy surface.

The details:

• Russell set the fastest lap of 1m12.965s on Soft tyres, improving on his final run in SQ3.
• Antonelli produced the fastest final sector but fell 0.068s short, crossing the line 0.093s behind.
• McLaren locked out the second row: Lando Norris third (+0.315s) and Oscar Piastri fourth (+0.334s).
• Ferrari took fifth and sixth: Lewis Hamilton ahead of Charles Leclerc, both around 0.4s off the pace.
• Red Bull struggled: Max Verstappen only seventh (+0.539s) and Isack Hadjar eighth (+0.640s), with both drivers lacking grip.
• Alonso’s crash: SQ1 was red-flagged after Fernando Alonso hit the barrier at Turn 3. The session resumed with 1m46s left, but only three drivers managed to set a time, eliminating Alonso and others.
• Other notable eliminations: Sergio Pérez, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Liam Lawson (did not participate).

What's next:

The Sprint race later today will test whether Mercedes can convert qualifying speed into race pace.

• Russell starts from pole for the first time in 2026, aiming to rebuild momentum in the title fight.
• Antonelli, the championship leader, will look to pass his teammate at the start.
• McLaren and Ferrari will need to find performance to challenge Mercedes, while Red Bull hopes to recover from a tricky session.