George Russell Takes Canadian Sprint Pole by 0.068s as Mercedes Locks Out Front Row
Updated
Updated · Sky Sports · May 22
George Russell Takes Canadian Sprint Pole by 0.068s as Mercedes Locks Out Front Row
13 articles · Updated · Sky Sports · May 22
George Russell edged team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.068 seconds in Montreal Sprint Qualifying, giving Mercedes a front-row lockout for Saturday's Canadian GP Sprint.
Mercedes' upgrade package appeared to pay off immediately: Russell and Antonelli finished more than three tenths clear of McLaren, with Lando Norris third and Oscar Piastri fourth.
Lewis Hamilton topped SQ1 and ran second in SQ2 but slipped to fifth in the final shootout, still beating Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc for the first time since China; Max Verstappen qualified seventh.
The result cuts against recent momentum from Antonelli, who leads the championship and had won the previous three Grands Prix, while Russell trails him by 20 points.
Will Mercedes' dominant upgrades translate from pole position to a decisive Sprint race victory tomorrow?
Is Hamilton's success without a simulator a fluke or a new blueprint for F1 driver preparation?