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:

Row	Position	Driver	Team	Position	Driver	Team
Row 1	1	George Russell	Mercedes	2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes
Row 2	3	Lando Norris	McLaren	4	Oscar Piastri	McLaren
Row 3	5	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	6	Max Verstappen	Red Bull
Row 4	7	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	8	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari
Row 5	9	Arvid Lindblad	VCARB	10	Franco Colapinto	Alpine
Row 6	11	Nico Hülkenberg	Audi	12	Liam Lawson	VCARB
Row 7	13	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	14	Pierre Gasly	Alpine
Row 8	15	Carlos Sainz Jr.	Williams	16	Oliver Bearman	Haas
Row 9	17	Esteban Ocon	Haas	18	Alexander Albon	Williams
Row 10	19	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	20	Sergio Pérez	Cadillac
Row 11	21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	22	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac

F1 Canadian Grand Prix qualifying: How it happened

Follow along as the qualifying hour unfolds. All updates are in Eastern Time.

5:00: Norris cannot get to pole position.

BUT GEORGE RUSSELL CAN. HE NIPS ANTONELLI AT THE DEATH WITH A 1:12.578 TO TAKE POLE POSITION.

5:00: Antonelli is now in P1 with a 1:12.646, 0.083 seconds ahead of Norris.

4:59: Antonelli is purple through Sector 1, and just 0.022 seconds behind Norris through Sector 2. Game on.

4:59: Russell cuts the beam and can only get to third, 0.264 seconds behind Norris.

4:58: Russell was just off Norris’ pace through Sector 1, and is 0.140 off his pace through Sector 2.

4:57: Russell’s latest push lap has begun, and he is a bit loose out of Turn 2.

4:56: Norris, Hamilton, Paistri, Colapinto, and Hadjar are the only drivers still in the garage right now. Four minutes remain in Q3.

4:54: Russell heads out early, and might give himself enough time to try two push laps as more than five minutes remain in Q3.

4:53: Russell pulls out of his first push lap and Antonelli’s lap is only good for fourth. Norris and Hamilton are provisionally on the front row.

But we will get another set of push laps, so nothing is done and dusted just yet.

4:52: A “belter” of a lap from Norris, as he goes P1 with a 1:12.729. That is 0.139 ahead of Hamilton, 0.274 ahead of Piastri, and 0.420 ahead of Leclerc.

4:51: Verstappen sets the early benchmark with a 1:13.473.

4:47: Q3 is underway, with 13 minutes on the clock.

4:44: Hadjar, Hamilton, Norris, Antonelli, Russell, Piastri, Verstappen, Lindblad, Leclerc, and Colapinto are your ten drivers in Q3, having advanced in that order.

4:42: Q2 draws to a close with Hülkenberg, Lawson, Bortoleto, Gasly, Sainz, and Bearman the six drivers eliminated.

4:40: Bortoleto is out, Bearman and Sainz are out as well.

4:39: Hamilton indeed goes to the top of the timing sheets, with a 1:13.041. That is 0.035 seconds ahead of Antonelli. Russell’s next effort goes to P3, 0.038 seconds behind his former teammate.

4:39: Hamilton is on a banger of a lap, having gone purple through the first sector. He has seemed dialed in all week.

4:37: Three minutes remain in Q2. Colapinto, Sainz, Bortoleto, Bearman, Gasly, and Lawson are the six drivers in the drop zone. Hülkenberg is in P10, the driver at risk right now.

4:36: Leclerc gets pulled into the weighbridge, right when he needs to get into and out of the garage quickly.

4:34: Leclerc’s latest push lap gets him out of the drop zone, but is only good for ninth. With times coming down, the Ferrari driver remains at risk.

4:33: With seven minutes left in Q2 the six drivers in the drop zone are: Leclerc, Sainz, Bortoleto, Bearman, Gasly, and Lawson.

4:32: Verstappen gets to P5, 0.403 seconds behind Antonelli. But it is Hadjar who is faster, as he goes to P2 with a time just 0.128 seconds behind Antonelli.

4:31: The Mercedes pair pumps in their early push laps. Russell goes to P5, while Antonelli jumps into P1 with a 1:13.076. That is 0.159 seconds ahead of Norris.

4:31: Hamilton rockets up to P2, just 0.035 seconds behind Norris.

4:30: Norris is the early pace-setter, ahead of Piastri, Hadjar, Colapinto, and Gasly.

4:26: Q2 is underway with 15 minutes on the clock. Who will advance to Q3?

You, dear reader. You will advance to Q3 along with the rest of us.

4:25: Q2 is about to begin, and the cars are lining up already. Colapinto is up front with Gasly right behind him.

4:23: If you are looking for something to read ahead of Q2, here is a painfully shameless plug for my exclusive chat with Sainz from Thursday. We talked about the new track in Madrid, what will make 2026 a success for Williams, and a whole lot more.

Look, while I’ve still got this job I need to promote the work, right?

4:22: Q2 will begin momentarily. Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Hadjar, Hamilton, Leclerc, Lindblad, Russell, Verstappen, Sainz, Lawson, Bearman, Colapinto, Hülkenberg, Gasly, and Bortoleto are the 16 drivers who advanced, in that order.

4:19: Ocon is out, as both Hülkenberg and Bortoleto both nip him, along with Gasly. Ocon, Albon, Alonso, Pérez, Stroll, and Bottas are the six drivers eliminated here at the end of Q1.

4:19: Ocon’s final effort gets him to P15, he might be safe. Alonso’s final effort is not enough, and he will be out.

4:18: 30 seconds remain, and 18 drivers remain on the track.

4:18: Bortoleto climbs to P16, pulling himself out of the drop zone. But his teammate Hülkenberg remains at risk, down in P18.

4:16: Three minutes remain in Q1 at the Canadian Grand Prix. Ocon, Bortoleto, Alonso, Hülkenberg, Bottas, and Stroll are the six drivers in the drop zone.

4:15: Norris improves to second, just 0.151 seconds behind Antonelli.

4:14: Bearman reports over the radio that a “piece of my car” has fallen off.

4:12: With six minutes left in Q1 the six drivers in the drop zone are: Bortoleto, Alonso, Hülkenberg, Bottas, Stroll, and Gasly. Albon is the driver at risk right now, as he sits in P16.

4:11: Leclerc completes a lap that looks clean, and is good for P9.

Lindblad rockets up to P3 with a strong lap, and he looks comfortable at this track, having secured P8 in the F1 Sprint earlier today.

4:10: Russell improves to P1 with a 1:13.953, but Antonelli immediately clips him with a 1:13.380. Hadjar climbs to P2, and is just 0.274 seconds off Antonelli’s pace. The track is certainly evolving.

Meanwhile, Leclerc is now down in the drop zone, with his lap deleted due to exceeding track limits.

4:09: Verstappen, who has been complaining about the ride all week, jumps up to P1 with a 1:14.067.

4:08: Piastri’s latest effort slots him into P2, just 0.008 seconds behind his teammate.

4:07: The Mercedes drivers log their first push laps, and Antonelli slots into P2 behind Norris, 0.015 seconds behind the McLaren driver. Russell slots in third, 0.255 seconds off the pace from Norris.

Pérez, Stroll, Ocon, Albon, Gasly, and Bottas are currently the drivers in the drop zone.

4:06: Verstappen jumps to P1 with a 1:14.600. Norris then clips him with a 1:14.213.

4:05: Times are starting to come in and Piastri is the early pace-setter, with a 1:15.105. Expect those times to tumble as the track evolves.

4:04: Race control has noted that the incident involving Alonso will be investigated after the qualifying hour.

4:03: 15 minutes are left in Q1 and only Hadjar remains in the garage for now.

4:02: Alonso has been noted by race control for an unsafe release.

4:01: Albon is the first driver to take to the track, followed by Lawson, Bearman, and Ocon.

4:00: Green light in Montreal, 18 minutes on the clock, and qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix is underway.

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.