George Russell took the victory in the Sprint at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday, fending off a late charge from Lando Norris after battling with his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the early stages of the race. The win pulled Russell to within 18 points of Antonelli atop the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings, potentially igniting a title fight between the Mercedes pair.
But the big points are earned on Sunday, making Saturday afternoon’s qualifying hour a pivotal moment in the 2026 F1 season. Can Russell keep the pressure on Antonelli? Will the young Mercedes driver bounceback with yet another pole position? Or will Mercedes’ rivals, such as Norris or Lewis Hamilton, who has looked strong so far in Montreal, spoil the Silver Arrows’ party?
We’ll be following the qualifying hour, which begins at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Saturday afternoon, live. So check back in early and often!
F1 Canadian Grand Prix qualifying results
Here is the provisional starting grid for the 2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix, which will be filled in throughout the session:
F1 Canadian Grand Prix qualifying: How it happened
Follow along as the qualifying hour unfolds. All updates are in Eastern Time.
3:58: Qualifying begins momentarily, but cars are already lined up along pit lane.
3:48: Jolyon Palmer predicts a Mercedes front row, with Russell starting in P1.
3:46: Want to feel old? On the pre-qualifying show, they just showed Juan Pablo Montoya walking the track with his son Sebastian … who drives in F2 for PREMA.
