Russell takes – George Russell took pole Friday for Saturday’s sprint at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, edging Kimi Antonelli by 0.068 seconds as Mercedes brought upgrades. The sprint sets up Sunday’s grand prix, where Russell aims to defend his Montreal title and Anton
When George Russell crossed the line on Friday in Montreal, it wasn’t just a fast lap—it was a statement for Saturday’s sprint and a warning shot for Sunday’s grand prix.
Russell took pole for the sprint race at the Canadian Grand Prix, setting a time of 1 minute, 12.965 seconds in qualifying. Mercedes teammate and Formula 1 points leader Kimi Antonelli will start second after being edged by 0.068.
The English driver is preparing to defend his Montreal grand prix title on Sunday. He comes into the weekend after a fourth-place finish at the Miami Grand Prix, and he said the swing from Miami to Montreal helped the car come together the way he expected.
“I never doubted myself. I knew what I can do,” Russell said. “Miami was obviously a bit unique. This is an amazing circuit here, high grip, feels like you’re driving a proper Formula 1 car around here, which is how it should be and I’m glad today it came together.”
Russell’s pole matters because the sprint format is built to compress momentum. F1 introduced sprints in 2021. and the shortened races cover roughly 60 miles (100 kilometers). about a third of the distance of a grand prix. Sprints offer a maximum of eight points, while a grand prix victory is worth 25.
Mercedes arrived with upgrades this weekend after McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull closed the gap with new parts in Miami. Russell said he could feel that work pay off.
“It’s definitely feeling great,” Russell said. “We obviously saw in Miami, McLaren were really close and Ferrari not too far behind. Pleased to have it on the car, pleased to be back in P1, it’s been a little while. But yeah, obviously still big focus for tomorrow.”
Behind the front row, reigning champion Lando Norris took third for the sprint, starting alongside McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the second row. Lewis Hamilton was set to start fifth.
Antonelli, 19, arrives with a sharp lead in the standings. He has won three straight grand prix races and tops the table with 100 points—20 more than second-place Russell. With the sprint ahead Saturday and the grand prix on Sunday. that gap sets up a high-stakes chessboard at a track that punishes mistakes.
The weekend’s tone shifted even before qualifying, when practice was disrupted. Williams’ Alex Albon crashed into a groundhog on the exit of Turn 7. causing significant damage to his car and forcing him out of sprint qualifying. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve sits on Île Notre-Dame in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and is known for wildlife, especially groundhogs.
The Canadian GP is the fifth of 22 stops this season. F1 canceled April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia because of the war in Iran. Following Saturday’s sprint, drivers will qualify for the grand prix Sunday.
George Russell Kimi Antonelli Canadian Grand Prix Montreal sprint pole Mercedes upgrades Lando Norris Formula 1 sprint format
So he got pole like… first place? That should mean he wins Sunday right?
I’m confused, pole is for the sprint but then Sunday is the main race? Like why do they do two races in one weekend lol. Either way 0.068 seconds is ridiculously close.
Russell always “never doubted himself” yeah okay. But Miami to Montreal upgrades? I feel like it’s just luck on a different track. Also sprint points barely matter so I don’t get why everyone is acting like it’s a warning shot.
If Mercedes brought upgrades and he “could feel it,” doesn’t that mean McLaren/Ferrari/Red Bull are falling behind for good? Like once you fix it you’re set. Idk… I just want Antonelli to do better than second because 0.068 isn’t even a whole second.