Canadian Grand Prix: Friday recap; Russell on pole for Sprint Race
George Russell took first place in the sprint shootout on Friday.
May 22, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Mercedes driver George Russell (63) during practice session before the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve Friday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was eventful, as F1 returned after a three-week hiatus following the Miami Grand Prix. Throughout the day, there were four Red Flags, and Mercedes came soaring back into the mix late in the Sprint Shootout, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli ending things with a one-two finish after Lewis Hamilton dominated the timesheet in Sprint Qualifying. The first incident happened a few minutes into the practice session when Liam Lawson had a hydraulic failure and had to park his car.
That took him out of the Sprint Shootout, and he’ll start last. Alex Albon had a moment when he ran over a groundhog that was sitting on the track and then went into the wall, bringing out another Red Flag. Albon, like Lawson, missed out on qualifying for the Sprint Race on Saturday, and he will start 21st.
Esteban Ocon crashed into the wall and lost his front wing, bringing out the red for the third time in the session, and ultimately ending it. Antonelli and Russell finished at the top of the pack as FP1 came to a close, with the Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen rounding out the top five. The Sprint Shootout received added drama as Fernando Alonso, trying to get out of the elimination zone in SQ2, locked up and went into the wall at the Turn 3 chicane, causing the fourth and final Red Flag of the day and a delay in the session.
That’s a rare mistake from the Spaniard, and he’ll start from 14th for the Sprint. Into the barriers for Fernando! 😳 Here is the moment that ended Alonso's SQ1 prematurely 👇 #F1Sprint #CanadianGP pic.