Hamilton posts P5 in Canada sprint qualifying

Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for the sprint at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Friday, giving Ferrari a place on the third row after a session led by Mercedes. Formula 1’s official results showed Hamilton in P5 for sprint qualifying, with teammate Charles Leclerc sixth. Hamilton said afterward that the car felt better than it had at any point this season, according to Formula 1 and Ferrari accounts published after the session. The result came on the first full day of running at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, where Canada is hosting a sprint weekend from May 22 to May 24. ### Who beat Hamilton in sprint qualifying? George Russell took sprint pole for Mercedes on May 22 with a 1:12.965 lap, Formula 1 said in its session report. Kimi Antonelli made it a Mercedes front row in second, while McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified third and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fourth. Hamilton’s fifth place put him directly behind that lead group, with Leclerc sixth for Ferrari. (formula1.com) ### What did Hamilton say about the Ferrari? Hamilton said after the session that the Ferrari “felt really fantastic” and that he was “having so much fun out there,” according to Formula 1’s post-session video. In a separate Formula 1 report, Hamilton said, “This is the best I’ve felt all year,” after changing his approach to the weekend and focusing on previous-race data rather than simulator work. (formula1.com) Ferrari’s own Friday report said Hamilton and Leclerc would share the third row for the sprint race at Gilles-Villeneuve. The team said Hamilton was fifth and Leclerc sixth at the end of SQ3 after the mandatory medium-tyre runs in SQ1 and SQ2 and soft tyres in the final segment. ### Why was P5 treated as a positive result? (formula1.com) P5 was Hamilton’s best sprint-qualifying finish of the season, according to Formula 1’s account of the session. Formula 1 said Hamilton had changed his preparation for Canada and “reaped the rewards” with what it described as his strongest session of the year. That matched the tone of social-media discussion around the result, but the underlying result and Hamilton’s remarks were also published by Formula 1 and Ferrari. (ferrari.com) Montreal also marked the first Canadian Grand Prix to be held in May, Ferrari said in its race preview earlier in the week. The circuit remains one of the most distinctive stops on the calendar and is the third sprint weekend of the 2026 season, Ferrari said. ### What happens next in Canada? Ferrari said the sprint race was scheduled to start at 12 local time on Saturday, May 23, at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. (formula1.com) The Canadian Grand Prix weekend then continues with qualifying for Sunday’s main race, with Formula 1 listing the event as running from May 22 to May 24 in Montreal. (ferrari.com 1) (ferrari.com 2)