After a dramatic ending, George Russel claimed a crucial victory in the F1 Sprint Race at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix
In the third Sprint Race of 2026, it was Russell who edged out Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli for the top spot. With tight contents and even tighter racing, Russell managed to hang onto his Sprint Pole to secure eight Championship Points.
So Far This Weekend
Mercedes have emerged as the early benchmark in Montreal, with George Russell leading a Mercedes front-row lockout in Sprint Qualifying ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli. McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified third, while Ferrari rounded out the top six.
The session also featured drama, with Fernando Alonso crashing in SQ1 to bring out red flags, while Alex Albon and Liam Lawson missed Sprint Qualifying entirely after obtaining damage to their respective cars.
Lights Out on Sprint Race
Early drama in the Sprint Race with Hometown Hero Lance Stroll forced to the Pit Lane before the race began with suspension damage. Moments before the race, the Canadian pulled up as the fourth car to start from the Pit Lane alongside Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas.
Once the lights were out, it was Russell who was quick to cover the field. Lewis Hamilton was quick to pass Oscar Piastri for fourth. With limited points on offer in the Sprint, Antonelli started to pressure his Mercedes teammate. Further back, Franco Colapinto forced Nico Hulkenburg off track, sending his Audi through the grass.
Stroll was noted for a starting procedure infringement as the field began to separate, however no penalty was given. With many cars out of position, it was Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso who sitting in 13th and 14th. Isack Hadjar was forced into the pits with engine problems before coming back out two laps down.
Mercedes’ Chaos is McLaren’s Joy
By Lap 6, Antonelli was all over Russel. Through the first corner, Antonelli attempted to pass around the outside, however the young Italian ended up through the grass. Later in the lap, another tip to the grass allowed Lando Norris to pass for second. With a vocal Antonelli demanding a penalty, Hamilton began to close in on his former team.
With Norris’ McLaren beginning to close onto the lead, Toto Wolff was next on the radio to calm his team. Heading into Lap 10, Hamilton attempted to pass Antonelli. With the medium tyres beginning to fade, it was Piastri who began to close in on the pair. Further down the field, Arvid Lindblad was in the final points paying position. The rookie beginning to pull away from Colapinto.
With ten laps to go, it was Norris who tried to pull the trigger on Russell. Behind them, a cooler headed Antonelli began to close in on the top two, leaving Hamilton over a second and a half behind. Charles Leclerc was next to pressure the field, closing in on Piastri in fifth.
Elsewhere on track, Hulkenburg was noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage before receiving a ten second time penalty, as he fought off Gasly for 15th. Back at the front, the battle for the podium was heating up. On Lap 16, Alonso went for a pitstop before retiring from the Sprint Race. With Alex Albon moving out of the way of his 2019 Rookies, it was Norris who came within three tenth of Russell.
Dash for the Checkered Flag
With five laps remaining, eight tenths separated the top three. Behind one and a half seconds separated Hamilton in fourth and Leclerc in sixth. Max Verstappen was noted for a Yellow Flag infringement, while Bearman pulled into the pits. As the laps ticked on, it was Russell who began to pull away before being forced closer by the back markers.
Hamilton has a brush with the Wall of Champion was Piastri closed in on the seven time World Champion. Heading into the final lap, Piastri dove past Hamilton for fourth in the Sprint Race. Hamilton then lost another place to teammate Charles Leclerc. However, the attention was back at the front of the field as Russell pulled away from Norris to secure back to back victories in the Canadian Sprint Race.
Norris held off Antonelli, forcing Mercedes to abandon their 1-2 hopes. Further back, Piastri held onto fourth ahead of the two Ferraris, while Vertsappen had to settle for seventh. Lindblad gained another point in the his rookie campaign finishing eighth. While a superb driver from Perez left Cadillac with their best result of the season in 11th. With the attention shifting to this afternoons Qualifying, Russel gains minimal points back in his Championship fight against Antonelli.
Formula 1 returns tonight at 21:00 GMT for Qualification before the Grand Prix at 21:00 GMT on Sunday.
Feature Image Credit: Formula 1