George Russell secured pole position for the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix sprint race, leading a Mercedes 1-2 with teammate Kimi Antonelli. World champion Lando Norris starts third, rounding out a familiar front end to a grid that features several significant changes for the future F1 landscape.
Notably, American-backed teams Cadillac and Haas prepare for the sprint. Sergio Perez lines up 17th and Valtteri Bottas 20th for the new Cadillac outfit. Haas sees Esteban Ocon start 14th and Ollie Bearman 15th, positioning both cars solidly in the midfield battle.
Further back, Lewis Hamilton races for Ferrari from fifth, with Max Verstappen seventh for Red Bull. Alex Albon and Liam Lawson were granted permission to start despite missing sprint qualifying due to earlier practice incidents. The 2026 season is already delivering surprises, and this Canada sprint will be a crucial early test for these new team and driver configurations, especially for the American entries as they find their rhythm.
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