Mercedes star George Russell took the pole position at the 2026 Canadian GP Sprint shootout. The Briton beat his young teammate for the first time since the Chinese GP. When questioned about whether the pole position came as a relief, Russell claimed that he never doubted himself.
Going into the 2026 F1 season, George Russell was the favorite to win the championship and made a strong case for himself with a dominant display at the season opener in Australia. After a pole position and win during the sprint in China, things started falling apart for Russell.
It all started with an anti-stall issue during Q3 at the Chinese GP, which resulted in Kimi Antonelli taking the pole position and subsequently the race win. The Italian driver went on to take pole position and the win at the Japanese GP and the Miami GP, taking the lead in the championship.
With Kimi Antonelli getting three consecutive wins, it was crucial for George Russell to perform in Canada to pull back some ground. That is exactly what the Briton did during the Sprint shootout, as Russell took the pole position in the upgraded Mercedes, beating his teammate to it.
Speaking with Juan Pablo Montoya after the session, the former F1 driver asked Russell if the pole position came as a relief, to which the Mercedes driver replied,
“Feels great after a tough Miami but I never doubted myself. I knew what I could do. Miami was obviously a bit unique. It’s an amazing circuit here, high grip, feels like driving a proper F1 car around here, which is how it should be and I’m glad today came together.”
George Russell on how the Mercedes upgrades feel as Mercedes starts 1-2 for the Canadian GP Sprint
McLaren and Ferrari brought significant upgrades for the Miami GP, which put them close to Mercedes in the performance index. Coming into Canada, Mercedes themselves brought significant upgrades, which included a new front wing, revised brake ducts, an updated flat floor, and a fresh sidepod design, along with new software for better starts and a lighter gearbox.
When questioned by Juan Pablo Montoya on how the new upgrades feel, George Russell said,
“Yes, it’s definitely feeling great. The team has done such a great job to bring this forward. We obviously saw in Miami that McLaren were really close and Ferrari not too far behind and in track like this, the upgrades are excelling. So, pleased to have them in the car and pleased to be back in P1, it’s been a little while.”
However, despite taking pole position, George Russell was wary of the threat from Ferrari’s flying starts.
Edited by Pranay Bhagi