George Russell on pole for Canadian Grand Prix sprint ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli

[p]The 28-year-old Briton had been outpaced earlier by the Italian teenager who is seeking a fourth consecutive Grand Prix win on Sunday, but proved he retains the resilience and pace to handle mounting pressure.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]Russell[/a] topped the times in 1min 12.965sec to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a] by 0.068sec in a tight session extended by a lengthy red flag stoppage after two-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-fernando/rVRhR90U/"]Fernando Alonso[/a] crashed in his Aston Martin.[/p][p]"[b]It feels great after a tough Miami, but I never doubted myself[/b]," said Russell.[/p][p]"[b]I knew what I could do. Miami was a bit unique, but it’s high grip here and it feels like you're driving a proper F1 car around here, which is how it should be.[/b][/p][p]"[b]The upgrades are definitely feeling great, the team have done such a great job to bring this forward. We saw in Miami that McLaren are close and Ferrari are not too far behind, and on a track like this it's really excelling[/b]."[/p][embed guid="edc47e79-b902-431a-a6e8-73cab88a7e78" url="https://x.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/2057938670947008996" social-type="twitter" /][p]Antonelli said: "[b]My lap was quite bad and the session wasn’t clean for me – I made a mistake and I pushed for lap one when I’d not done enough prep for the tyres and they were cold... We will do better tomorrow[/b]."[/p][p]World champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Lando Norris[/a] was third ahead of McLaren team-mate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a] and the Ferraris of seven-time champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hadjar-isack/8SAk38Ui/"]Isack Hadjar[/a] qualified seventh and eighth for Red Bull, with Racing Bulls rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindblad-arvid/bgk1rl5a/"]Arvid Lindblad[/a] ninth and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sainz-carlos-jr/l6kEzjTF/"]Carlos Sainz[/a] 10th for Williams.[/p][p]The SQ1 session began with Hamilton leading the way in warmer temperatures of 20 (air) and 42 (track), the seven-time Canadian winner clocking 1:15.459, a lap time soon bettered by Leclerc, Norris and Russell.[/p][p]Verstappen also went top. And then came Antonelli in 1:14.010, almost half a second clear of the Dutchman before Hamilton, watched by his mother Carmen in the Ferrari pits, posted 1:13.922 to pip the young Italian by 0.088.[/p][p]Hamilton improved, trimming his time to 1:13.889, before a red flag stoppage, when two-time champion Fernando Alonso crashed at Turn Three after locking up in his Aston Martin.[/p][embed guid="13d4deb8-a385-46e9-b86e-4af1a67b821c" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2057940902736265387" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Briton, who claimed his maiden triumph in Montreal in 2007, was clearly in the mood.[/p][p]This left a clutch of drivers still in need of a flying lap as the barriers were repaired.[/p][p]"[b]I locked up the fronts and after that you’re a passenger[/b]," said Alonso. "[b]No room to avoid anything here… Too much on the limit[/b]."[/p][p]Only 20 cars took part, with Williams’ [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/albon-alexander/OEbwYC7k/"]Alex Albon[/a] out after crashing in practice earlier, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lawson-liam/nap8RjeO/"]Liam Lawson[/a] of Racing Bulls absent with gearbox problems.[/p][p]The action resumed after a 20-minute break with only 1min 46sec remaining for drivers to complete a lap before the flag and then clock a flying lap.[/p][p]Only Carlos Sainz and local hope [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stroll-lance/I3p9zz4s/"]Lance Stroll[/a] made it, but without recording an improved time. This left [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-sergio/foV8RteD/"]Sergio Perez[/a] eliminated along with his Cadillac team-mate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bottas-valtteri/bRJJqiGb/"]Valtteri Bottas[/a], Aston Martin’s Stroll and Alpine’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gasly-pierre/nqYFMBBf/"]Pierre Gasly[/a].[/p][p]Russell and Antonelli were first out for SQ2, but it was Norris who set the pace until Hamilton displaced him, followed by Russell in 1:13.466 – and Antonelli just behind his Mercedes team-mate by 0.085.[/p][embed guid="eaea4ebb-9da1-4fa1-a81e-7f552127aea6" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2057941969800761452" social-type="twitter" /][p]Verstappen was out late and managed only ninth before pitting as Hamilton went top, only for Russell to take over again in 1:13.026, four-tenths clear.[/p][p]Out this time went Audi’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hulkenberg-nico/GfW4SMu7/"]Nico Hulkenberg[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bortoleto-gabriel/8zwcIVil/"]Gabriel Bortoleto[/a], Alpine’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/colapinto-franco/GzFqySBA/"]Franco Colapinto[/a] and both Haas drivers, along with Alonso.[/p][p]Hamilton was first out again for SQ3, but aborted his first lap on softs before clocking 1:13.605, beaten only by a revived Russell who found the pace for pole in 1:13.194, which he trimmed to 1:12.965 on a second run.[/p][p]In a final flurry of laps, the Mercedes pair claimed the front row ahead of the two McLarens and both Ferraris and the Red Bulls.[/p]