George Russell secured a last-minute pole position during the qualifying for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, beating Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris after a completely dramatic finale.
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Saturday in Montreal took place under generally dry but tricky conditions, with moderate temperatures and a track that changed throughout the sessions. After an especially intense sprint the day before, teams approached qualifying with many uncertainties, particularly at Mercedes following an already heated internal duel between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
The classic qualifying format allowed drivers to regain some strategic freedom, with the return of free tires and wider performance windows. Despite this, the hierarchy remained tight throughout the three segments, with several minimal gaps between the pole contenders.
Q1 and Q2 marked by incidents and surprises
From Q1, several incidents disrupted the session. Aston Martin was at the center of attention with a double investigation by the stewards after releases deemed dangerous in the pit lane, involving Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. On track, eliminations quickly claimed significant victims, including Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, and Valtteri Bottas, all unable to pass the first hurdle.
Q2 then delivered its share of surprises, with a particularly unstable hierarchy. Kimi Antonelli showed strength at the top in the first part of the session, but the fight for the last spots in Q3 was extremely close. Pierre Gasly and Nico Hülkenberg were notably eliminated in a tight group, while Isack Hadjar continued to confirm his good form over the weekend.
A Q3 completely turned upside down in the final moments
The final phase long seemed to favor Lando Norris, who set a provisional reference lap of 1’12”753. Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri were also in the mix, while Kimi Antonelli lurked just a few tenths behind.
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But the last attempt completely overturned the established order. Antonelli first struck hard by taking the lead with 1’12”646, suggesting the pole was his. That was before George Russell, who went out later and more strategically, managed to optimize two flying laps in his final attempt.
Russell emerges at the decisive moment
In a perfectly executed final effort, the Briton set the best time of the session, snatching pole position by a tiny margin over his teammate. Russell ultimately beats Antonelli, while Norris completes the top 3 ahead of Piastri and Hamilton, who was slightly penalized by an error on his final lap.
Behind this leading quintet, Verstappen and Hadjar place themselves in the top 10, confirming a particularly tight hierarchy in Montreal. Leclerc also finishes in the leading group, while several outsiders take advantage of the circumstances to break into the top 10.
A spectacular session, concluded with a scenario perfectly worthy of a circuit where everything can change in the last meters.
Read more George Russell puts Antonelli in his place after an explosive sprint duel in Montreal
2026 Canadian GP F1 Qualifying Classification:
