2026 Canadian Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Review

Linus O'Howell
12 hours ago
2 min read

After another 3 weeks off, Formula 1 returned with the first-ever Sprint Qualifying session around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve!

SQ1

In Sprint Qualifying 1, Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon, and Liam Lawson were the six slowest drivers! Sergio Perez came within less than 2 tenths of earning Cadillac’s first-ever SQ2 appearance, whilst Lance Stroll qualified 18th at home! Pierre Gasly was the big scalp in SQ1, losing out due to a poorly-timed Red Flag, whilst you could also say the same about Valtteri Bottas, who was about 5 seconds off crossing the line! Neither Alex Albon nor Liam Lawson were able to get times on the board, with Albon crashing in FP1, whilst Lawson suffered with mechanical issues! Lewis Hamilton managed to top SQ1 for Ferrari, over a tenth clear of Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes!

SQ2

In Sprint Qualifying 2, Nico Hulkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, and Fernando Alonso all failed to make it into the Top 10 shootout! As always in 2026, Audi just missed out on an SQ3 appearance, with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto once again P11 and P12, whilst Franco Colapinto will start 13th for Alpine! Haas struggled for pace, with Esteban Ocon outqualifying Oliver Bearman (which is majorly important for him), whilst Fernando Alonso scored Aston Martin’s best Qualifying result of the season… by crashing in SQ1! What a masterstroke! George Russell topped SQ2 for Mercedes, with Hamilton behind in second!

SQ3

In Sprint Qualifying 3, a 1:12.965 was enough for George Russell to take a crucial Sprint Pole Position! George really needed this, and that’s now three straight Poles in Canada for the Brit! Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed a Mercedes 1-2, finishing 68 thousandths off his teammate, whilst Lando Norris will start third for McLaren! Oscar Piastri had to settle for 4th, ending up just 19 thousandths slower than his teammate, whilst Lewis Hamilton will be pretty disappointed with 5th! Charles Leclerc continued the “Noah’s Ark” grid by qualifying 6th, whilst Max Verstappen will start ahead of Isack Hadjar in an all-Red Bull 7th Row! Arvid Lindblad bounced back in style to end up as best of the rest for Racing Bulls, whilst Carlos Sainz earned Williams their first Top 10 Qualifying result of 2026!