GP Canada 2026, Sprint finishing order: Russell beats Norris and Kimi, but what sparks in Mercedes! Leclerc 5th ahead of Hamilton

F1 Canada, the Sprint standings

F1 Canada, the Sprint report

Mercedes takes home a Sprint with more difficulty than expected, one they should have dominated. Montreal confirms itself as a friendly track for George Russell, here on pole in the last two GPs, who beats Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli, who arrived close behind #63. Although the gaps suggest there was a battle among the three, the Sprint told a different story. The world champion practically acts as a peacemaker between Russell and Antonelli, who poke each other in the first laps, with #63 pushing the Bolognese wide at turn 1. A move that infuriates the championship leader: “It was unfair,” this was his complaint over the radio. Toto Wolff even has to reprimand him twice, postponing the discussion to the post-race debriefing.

Read more Antonelli-Russell, show on track and fury on the radio: “He should be penalized”. And Wolff silences Kimi: “We will discuss it internally”

Antonelli tries again at the Casino hairpin but runs wide and allows Norris to slip through, who never attacks Russell and puts the fight for the top 3 on ice except for a very optimistic attempt by the Italian on the last lap, again on the outside of turn 1. The two Mercedes drivers, just out of the car, high-five, but it’s clear that the idyll in Brackley is over: 10 years after the internal battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Wolff risks facing another tricky situation at home. But, for now, it’s a sweet problem, also because the latest updates work and fix the start, the biggest weakness of the W17.

Speaking of Hamilton, he is the most active among the others. With a great start, the seven-time world champion overtakes Oscar Piastri, moving up to P4 and even seems able to trouble Antonelli, who struggles for a few laps due to the strain on the tires from various overtaking attempts. The Ferrari driver, however, fades at the end and finishes sixth, behind the Australian and Charles Leclerc, who had a Sprint without highlights. The same goes for Max Verstappen, who starts seventh and finishes in the same position on a Red Bull clearly the fourth force. At Milton Keynes, they only smile for Arvid Lindblad’s performance, who finishes in the points, while Isack Hadjar’s race is compromised by an engine problem. At the back, note the great performance of Sergio Perez, 12th on track in the Cadillac but then penalized ten seconds for forcing Liam Lawson off the track: it’s just the latest act between two drivers who have never liked each other.

Read more Russell: “Antonelli has often seen the grass, I am happy that we both finished the race”

F1 Canada, the Sprint live

You can relive the emotions of the Montreal Sprint with our live report.

The schedule and times

F1 returns to the track tonight at 22:00 with Qualifying, tomorrow at the same time the fifth GP of the year will start. Here are all the times and TV information.

Read more Wolff warns Antonelli: “We don’t want accidents, this is not Star Wars”