Full qualifying results and starting grid for the 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix
Here is the full starting grid following qualifying for the 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal:
Row 1
1. George Russell – 1:12.578 (Mercedes)
2. Andrea Kimi Antonelli – 1:12.646 (Mercedes)
Row 2
3. Lando Norris – 1:12.729 (McLaren-Mercedes)
4. Oscar Piastri – 1:12.781 (McLaren-Mercedes)
Row 3
5. Lewis Hamilton – 1:12.868 (Ferrari)
6. Max Verstappen – 1:12.907 (Red Bull-RB Ford)
Row 4
7. Isack Hadjar – 1:12.935 (Red Bull-RB Ford)
8. Charles Leclerc – 1:12.976 (Ferrari)
Row 5
9. Arvid Lindblad – 1:13.280 (Racing Bulls-RB Ford)
10. Franco Colapinto – 1:13.697 (Alpine-Mercedes)
Row 6
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 1:13.886 (Audi)
12. Liam Lawson – 1:13.897 (Racing Bulls-RB Ford)
Row 7
13. Gabriel Bortoleto – 1:14.071 (Audi)
14. Pierre Gasly – 1:14.187 (Alpine-Mercedes)
Row 8
15. Carlos Sainz – 1:14.273 (Williams-Mercedes)
16. Oliver Bearman – 1:14.416 (Haas-Ferrari)
Row 9
17. Esteban Ocon – 1:14.845 (Haas-Ferrari)
18. Alexander Albon – 1:14.845 (Williams-Mercedes)
Row 10
19. Fernando Alonso – 1:15.196 (Aston Martin-Honda)
20. Sergio Perez – 1:15.429 (Cadillac-Ferrari)
Row 11
21. Lance Stroll – 1:16.195 (Aston Martin-Honda)
22. Valtteri Bottas – 1:16.171 (Cadillac-Ferrari)
Qualifying recap from Montreal
George Russell’s hard-fought Sprint Race victory clearly gave the Mercedes driver a major confidence boost heading into qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. Despite wrestling with a car that looked nervous and far from perfect, the British driver delivered when it mattered most, producing a superb final lap in Q3 to snatch pole position right at the chequered flag.
Russell’s decisive effort came after he had already completed an earlier run on the same tyre set, making the achievement even more impressive. His late improvement denied Andrea Kimi Antonelli what looked set to be another sensational pole position, with the young Italian likely already beginning to believe the top spot was his.
Still, Andrea Kimi Antonelli once again delivered a standout performance. The Bologna-born rookie finished just 68 thousandths behind George Russell—the exact same margin seen in Sprint Qualifying—and secured yet another all-Mercedes front row for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Behind the Silver Arrows, the order mirrored Friday evening’s Sprint Qualifying result, with reigning world champion Lando Norris leading McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Lewis Hamilton continued to look particularly competitive around the walls of Montreal, once again emerging as Ferrari’s strongest performer, although a late setback dropped him to fifth place. Even so, the seven-time world champion was only 290 thousandths away from pole, an encouraging margin considering Ferrari’s recent struggles.
It was a far more difficult session for Charles Leclerc, who endured another frustrating chapter in what has so far been an underwhelming Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The Monegasque driver continued to struggle with the balance of the Ferrari and could manage only eighth place. However, the incredibly tight field means the final result looks worse than the actual pace suggests, with Charles Leclerc ending qualifying just 398 thousandths behind George Russell despite starting from the fourth row.
Ahead of the Ferrari driver, Max Verstappen secured sixth place after narrowly beating Isack Hadjar with his final attempt, just as the Racing Bulls rookie began to dream of outqualifying the four-time world champion. Completing the top ten were Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto, the final two drivers to make it into Q3.
Formula 1 returns to the track on Sunday evening for the main event of the weekend: the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix. Round five of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship gets underway at 22:00 Italian time, in a slightly unusual slot chosen to avoid—or at least minimize—a clash with the Indianapolis 500, which begins earlier in the day.
For the full Canadian Grand Prix weekend schedule and TV coverage, click here.
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