GEORGE RUSSELL IS BACK TO POLE POSITION IN THE SPRINT QUALIFYING IN CANADA
Sprint Qualifying in Canada turned into a chaotic and unpredictable session, with multiple disruptions, major names missing from running, and a late surge from George Russell that secured pole position for the Sprint.
Before the session even began, Alex Albon was ruled out due to damage from FP1, which forced a power unit and gearbox change. Liam Lawson also missed the session, reducing the field before qualifying even started. At the same time, Mercedes and McLaren arrived with major aerodynamic upgrades, both focusing on improved airflow, downforce, and balance across their cars.
SQ1 began with immediate pace from the top teams. Lewis Hamilton set the early benchmark, but George Russell quickly responded and moved to the top before Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli joined the fight. Hamilton eventually retook control with a strong lap, while Russell recovered from a mistake. Fernando Alonso later crashed into the wall, bringing out a red flag and disrupting the final minutes of the session.
After the restart, only a few drivers managed to complete laps. SQ1 ended with Hamilton on top, while Sergio Pérez was eliminated in 17th, followed by Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, and the two Williams drivers, Albon and Lawson, who did not set times.
SQ2 continued with medium tyres mandatory and an extremely tight fight at the front. Hamilton once again set the pace early, with Russell, Antonelli, and Lando Norris close behind. Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc remained in contention, while Verstappen struggled initially and had only one competitive lap.
Russell eventually delivered the fastest lap of the session with a 1:13.026, pushing Hamilton, Antonelli, and Leclerc behind him. Late improvements reshuffled the midfield, with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto fighting to the end, while Carlos Sainz narrowly made it through.
Eliminated in SQ2 were Hülkenberg, Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, and Alonso, who was classified despite his earlier crash but would start far down the order.
SQ3 used soft tyres and delivered a tense final battle for Sprint pole. Hamilton initially set the pace, but a small mistake in Turn 1 forced him into a second push lap. Russell responded with a strong lap to take provisional pole, while Verstappen and rookie Isack Hadjar briefly challenged the front.
In the final runs, Russell improved again to set a 1:12.965, reclaiming the top spot and securing Sprint pole position in Canada. Antonelli impressed with third, just behind Norris, who briefly moved into second place. Piastri, Leclerc, and Norris completed a closely packed group behind the front runners, with only fractions separating several positions.
At the end of a dramatic session filled with incidents, interruptions, and constant changes at the top, George Russell emerged as the fastest driver, taking Sprint pole in Canada after one of the most competitive qualifying sessions of the season.
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