Winners and Losers from 2026 Canadian GP Sprint Qualifying

George Russell claimed pole for the Canadian Grand Prix sprint, leading a strong Mercedes performance that put its main rivals on the back foot. Red Bull endured its biggest drop of the season, qualifying only 7th and 8th, while Haas struggled with its new upgrade package.

Why it matters:

This session confirms Mercedes' resurgence after a challenging start, while Red Bull's ride issues raise questions about their title defense. The midfield order continues to shift, with Cadillac showing incremental progress.

The big picture:

• Mercedes looks firmly ahead in Montreal after upgrades, with Russell ending a four-race intra-team qualifying losing streak against his 19-year-old teammate.
• Red Bull suffered severe ride problems – Max Verstappen reported being thrown off the pedals – and fell behind both McLaren and Ferrari.
• Fernando Alonso (16th) crashed but showed Aston Martin's best one-lap pace this season, escaping SQ1 for the first time.
• Carlos Sainz (10th) praised Williams' execution after a perfect run plan, recovering from Miami struggles.
• Alex Albon and Liam Lawson missed qualifying entirely due to separate incidents in practice, leaving their teammates to carry the flag.
• Sergio Perez (17th) was just 0.13s from taking Cadillac into SQ2, marking the team's best qualifying result.
• Arvid Lindblad (9th) impressed by taking his Racing Bulls within 0.25s of Verstappen in the sister team.
• Haas (14th and 15th) admitted its upgrade wasn't an immediate step forward, with Ollie Bearman citing grip and balance struggles.

What's next:

The sprint race will test whether Mercedes can convert pace into points, and if Red Bull can solve its ride issues overnight. For Haas, a steep learning curve with the new package continues, while Alonso hopes to pick off midfield cars from 16th on the grid.