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Canadian Grand Prix 2026

22 - 24 May 2026
26 May 2026 by
Adhya Khandelwal

We are back in Canada with more drama, more adrenaline and more racing !

Preview

source: F1

The Canadian Grand Prix takes place at the Circuit Gilles-Villeuve in Montreal, Canada. The first F1 race in Canada was in 1978 where it was won by Gilles Villeneuve with Ferrari. Originally, the circuit was named the Ile Notre-Dame circuit but it was renamed after the first winner, Gilles Villeneuve who passed away during the qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982.

The Canadian Grand Prix consists of a total of 70 laps with a total of 305.27km worth of distance covered. The total length of the circuit is 4.361km with 14 corner and 3 main straights. It is known for it's classic low-downforce, quick acceleration, heavy breaking and confident driving style vibe. This circuit is also a fan favourite due to it's total drama and adrenaline flow, with the drivers struggling to overtake sometimes and also many unpredictable things in the sight.

The Canadian GP was won by George Russell last year along with Max Verstappen and also it was a first podium finish for Kimi Antonelli who was a rookie last year.



FP1 Session

P1. Kimi Antonelli

P2. George Russell

P3. Lewis Hamilton

Sprint Qualifying

P1. George Russell

P2. Kimi Antonelli

P3. Lando Norris

Sprint

P1. George Russell

P2. Kimi Antonelli

P3. Lando Norris

Qualifying 

P1. George Russell

P2. Lando Norris

P3. Kimi Antonelli

Canadian Grand Prix

P1. Kimi Antonelli

P2. Lewis Hamilton

P3. Max Verstappen

P4. Charles Leclerc

P5. Isack Hadjar

P6. Franco Colapinto

P7. Liam Lawson

P8. Pierre Gasly

P9. Carlos Sainz

P10. Oliver Bearman

P11. Oscar Piastri

P12. Nico Hulkenberg

P13. Gabriel Bortoleto

P14. Esteban Ocon

P15. Lance Stroll

P16. Valtteri Bottas

DNF Arvid Lindblad

DNF Alex Albon

DNF George Russell

DNF Lando Norris

DNF Fernando Alonso

DNF Sergio Perez

  • The race started with 2 formation laps, hence the total race being of  68 laps.
  • Arvid Lindblad was unable to start the race due to a clutch issue and got a DNF.
  • Alex Albon crashed into Oscar Piastri and got out of the race.
  • George Russell started the race from Pole Position and managed to also win Sprint Qualifying, Sprint and Qualifying.
  • The top had Mercedes 1-2 lineup along with Lando Norris.
  • Both the McLarens started with intermediate tyers but changed immediately that resulted in them costing a podium finish and also a DNF.
  • George Russell leaded the race for 31 laps after a fierce battle with teammate Kimi Antonelli but due to a technical failure his car crashed in between the race and he got a DNF.
  • Lando Norris suffered a technical gearbox failure during lap 40 and got a DNF on the following lap.
  • Franco Colapinto had a career best finish with P6 along with Pierre Gasly also securing a positive result for Alpine with P8 finish. 
  • Red Bull and Ferrari also got positive results from their drivers.
  • Max Verstappen got his first podium of the season. Teammate Isack Hadjar Also delivered a good result with a P5 finish.
  • Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton also delivered solid results with P4 and P2 finish with Lewis Hamilton delivering best result at Ferrari after one year of joining the team. 
  • Kimi Antonelli becomes the youngest driver to win 4 consecutive races.

Conclusion

The Canadian Grand Prix of 2026 might be the worst race a fan has seen or the best depending on your perspective. Mercedes, McLaren, Williams and VCARB had a bittersweet weekend with one driver delivering points and one ending up in DNF zone. Ferrari, Red Bull, Alpine and Haas have showed consistent results so far. Audi, and Cadillac still are having troubles adapting to the new engines and are still playing in the lower midfield. Aston Martin are still where they were. 

Canada although never shows us true positions of the teams because of it's unique semi-street style track, however, we can see that there is obviously some tension if not much in between the Mercedes and some fans might even think that Toto has already chosen who will win the championship this year. George Russell mentioned in his post race interview that he was in "DISBELIEF" and it looks like somebody doesn't want him fighting for the championship. Some McLaren fans are also saying that McLaren looks like it wants to remain at the top but it doesn't look like any of the drivers want to fight for the championship but only enjoy the Mercedes Drama. Ferrari however are focusing on winning the championship, unlike Aston Martin who are just trying to get their engines working. 

All attention now drops to Monaco, with one of the most prestigious Formula 1 atmosphere and history flowing deep within the streets of Monaco.