George Russell takes Sprint Pole at 2026 Canadian Grand Prix as Sergio Pérez exits in SQ1

George Russell confirmed Mercedes’ dominant pace in Montreal by securing sprint pole for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, while Sergio Pérez suffered an early elimination after Fernando Alonso’s red flag incident.

Photo: @F1

Mercedes delivered a major statement during sprint qualifying for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix as George Russell secured pole position with a stunning lap of 1:12.965 around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Russell narrowly edged teammate Kimi Antonelli by just 0.068 seconds, confirming Mercedes as the team to beat heading into Saturday’s Sprint Race. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton in a tightly contested session filled with drama and unexpected eliminations.

The biggest turning point came during SQ1 when Fernando Alonso crashed at Turn 4, bringing out a late red flag just as several drivers were preparing for their final flying laps.

Among those most affected was Sergio Pérez. The Cadillac driver had begun building toward a crucial final attempt before the session was interrupted, leaving insufficient time after the restart to complete another competitive lap.

Pérez ultimately finished 17th and admitted afterward that the timing of the red flag severely compromised his chances of reaching SQ2.

“There wasn’t enough time for everyone to go out again,” Pérez explained. “I think we maximized what we had today and we were very close to making SQ2.”

The opening segment also eliminated Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Alexander Albon and Liam Lawson.

Mercedes continued to control the pace in SQ2, with Russell producing another fastest lap while Antonelli and Hamilton remained near the top of the timing sheets. Max Verstappen advanced under pressure after reporting rear instability issues with his Red Bull.

In the decisive SQ3 session, Russell improved once more to secure sprint pole, while Antonelli completed a strong Mercedes front-row lockout. Norris claimed third place for McLaren ahead of Piastri and Hamilton.

Charles Leclerc finished sixth and Verstappen will start seventh in what promises to be an intense Sprint Race in Montreal.