2026 Canadian Gp starting grid with penalties applied… see details in the comment
The stage is set for an exciting showdown at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix after Mercedes delivered a dominant qualifying performance in Montreal, with George Russell securing pole position ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Russell continued his impressive weekend form at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve by converting sprint success into another major achievement during qualifying on Saturday. After already taking sprint pole and later winning the sprint race, the British driver carried that momentum into the main qualifying session to lock down the top spot for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Mercedes enjoyed a perfect afternoon as rookie sensation Antonelli completed a front-row lockout for the Silver Arrows. The Italian youngster once again demonstrated why he is regarded as one of Formula 1’s brightest future stars, producing another calm and confident performance under pressure.
McLaren looked capable of challenging Mercedes throughout qualifying, but in the end the Woking-based outfit had to settle for the second row of the grid. Lando Norris qualified in third place after a strong final lap, while championship contender Oscar Piastri secured fourth position to place both McLaren cars firmly in contention for the race.
Lewis Hamilton delivered another solid performance for Ferrari by qualifying fifth. The seven-time world champion managed to edge out reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who could only take sixth place for Red Bull after struggling to find the perfect balance during the session.
One of the biggest talking points from qualifying was the outstanding display by Isack Hadjar. The young Red Bull driver surprised many observers by topping the timesheets in Q2 before eventually qualifying seventh. Hadjar has endured a difficult run of form in recent races, but his pace in Montreal suggested he may finally be finding confidence behind the wheel.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start from eighth position after an inconsistent qualifying session in which he failed to maximise the car’s potential during the decisive laps. Meanwhile, Racing Bulls youngster Arvid Lindblad continued to impress by securing ninth place on the grid, adding another promising result to his growing Formula 1 résumé.
Franco Colapinto completed the top 10 for Alpine after producing one of his best qualifying performances of the season.
Further down the order, Nico Hulkenberg placed 11th for Audi, narrowly missing out on a Q3 appearance. Liam Lawson qualified 12th for Racing Bulls, while Gabriel Bortoleto lined up 13th in the second Audi entry.
Pierre Gasly could only manage 14th place for Alpine, with Carlos Sainz enduring another difficult session for Williams as he qualified 15th. Haas drivers Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon will start from 16th and 17th respectively after both struggled for pace throughout qualifying.
Williams driver Alex Albon faces a challenging race from 18th on the grid, while Aston Martin experienced a disappointing afternoon with Fernando Alonso qualifying 19th.
The final positions on the grid are occupied by Cadillac’s Sergio Perez in 20th, Lance Stroll in 21st for Aston Martin, and Valtteri Bottas in 22nd for Cadillac.
Although the grid remains provisional pending official FIA confirmation, Mercedes head into Sunday’s race looking like the team to beat after showing exceptional pace throughout the weekend.
The Canadian Grand Prix is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 24, at 16:00 local time in Montreal. Fans in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the race at 21:00 BST, while viewers across different regions of the world will tune in at varying times depending on their local time zones.
In Europe, the race begins at 22:00 CEST, while fans in South Africa can watch at the same time in SAST. Indian viewers will need to stay up late, with lights out scheduled for 01:30 on Monday morning IST.
Viewers in Australia will have an early start on Monday, with the race airing between 04:00 and 06:00 depending on the region. Japanese fans can tune in at 05:00 JST, while audiences in China and Singapore will watch from 04:00 Monday morning local time.
Formula 1 fans worldwide will have multiple broadcasting options available. In the United Kingdom, coverage will be shown live on Sky Sports, while viewers in the United States can follow the action through Apple TV.
Canadian audiences can watch via RDS, TSN, CTV, and Noovo, while SuperSport will provide coverage across Africa. Other international broadcasters include DAZN in Spain and Japan, Canal+ in France, ESPN across Latin America, and beIN SPORTS in regions including Singapore, the Middle East, and Turkey.
With Mercedes occupying the entire front row and McLaren close behind, anticipation is building for what promises to be a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.