George Russell grabs Canadian GP pole in Montreal qualifying

George Russell put Mercedes on pole for the Canadian Grand Prix on May 23, beating teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.068 seconds in qualifying at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Russell’s lap of 1:12.578 completed a Mercedes front-row lockout for Sunday’s 70-lap race, according to Formula 1’s qualifying report. Lando Norris qualified third for McLaren and Oscar Piastri fourth, putting the McLaren pair on the second row. Le Figaro reported that Antonelli’s run of three straight poles ended with second place in Montreal. ### How close was Russell to Antonelli at the front? Russell’s margin was 0.068 seconds, with Antonelli second after Mercedes locked out the front row. Formula 1 said Russell produced the decisive lap with his final effort in Q3 after also winning the sprint earlier on Saturday. Antonelli had arrived in Montreal with a run of three consecutive poles, according to Le Figaro, but the Italian was denied at the end of qualifying. The result still kept Mercedes in control of the front row for Sunday’s race. ### Who lines up behind the Mercedes pair? McLaren filled the second row, with Norris third and Piastri fourth, according to Formula 1 and Le Figaro. That left the two teams occupying the first four spots on the grid in Montreal. A Canadian Press report carried by Le Droit said Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for Ferrari, followed by Max Verstappen in sixth. Isack Hadjar, Charles Leclerc, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto completed the top 10, that report said. ### What made Russell’s Saturday stand out? Saturday gave Russell both the sprint win and grand prix pole in Montreal. Formula 1 said he had already won the sprint from pole earlier in the day before delivering the fastest lap in qualifying. GPFans and other race reports described the result as a repeat of Mercedes’ earlier one-two in sprint qualifying, with Russell again ahead of Antonelli. Total Motorsport reported that the 0.068-second gap between the two Mercedes drivers matched the margin from sprint qualifying on Friday. ### What does the grid say about Mercedes and McLaren heading into Sunday? Mercedes secured the strongest possible starting position with Russell and Antonelli on the front row. Le Figaro said the Mercedes pair resisted the McLarens, who will start directly behind them on row two. Montreal has already produced tension inside Mercedes during the sprint, when Antonelli complained after battling Russell on track. Formula 1’s post-session team quotes page showed both drivers speaking after a day in which they remained central to the weekend’s story. ### What happens next in Montreal? Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix will start with Russell on pole and Antonelli alongside him at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Formula 1 said the race is scheduled over 70 laps, with Norris and Piastri starting immediately behind the Mercedes pair on the second row.