The starting grid for today’s 2026 Canadian Grand Prix sprint race has officially been confirmed following an action-packed sprint qualifying session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
George Russell secured sprint pole position for Mercedes after delivering a superb performance in Montreal, with team-mate Kimi Antonelli completing a Mercedes front-row lockout. Antonelli entered the weekend in strong form after winning three races in a row, but Russell responded impressively to take top spot for Saturday’s sprint.
McLaren will start directly behind the Mercedes pair, with Lando Norris qualifying third and Oscar Piastri securing fourth place. Both drivers showed strong pace throughout qualifying and are expected to challenge for victory once the lights go out.
For Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will line up fifth and sixth. Hamilton appeared capable of fighting for the front row during parts of the session but was unable to match the final pace of Mercedes.
Defending world champion Max Verstappen starts seventh for Red Bull Racing after struggling for balance during qualifying. Team-mate Isack Hadjar will begin from eighth place, while impressive rookie Arvid Lindblad claimed ninth for Racing Bulls. Carlos Sainz completes the top ten for Williams Racing.
Outside the top ten, Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto line up 11th and 12th for Audi. Franco Colapinto starts 13th for Alpine, while Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman will begin from 14th and 15th for Haas F1 Team.
Further back, Fernando Alonso qualified 16th for Aston Martin, with Sergio Perez taking 17th for Cadillac Formula 1 Team. Canadian driver Lance Stroll starts 18th at his home race, ahead of Pierre Gasly in 19th.
The final positions on the grid belong to Valtteri Bottas in 20th, Alex Albon in 21st, and Liam Lawson in 22nd after difficult qualifying sessions.
The sprint race is scheduled to begin at 12:00 local time in Montreal on Saturday, May 23, which is 17:00 BST in the United Kingdom. Fans around the world will be watching closely as Mercedes attempt to convert their front-row advantage into victory against strong competition from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.