MONTREAL: Clocking a blistering lap of 1:10.899 minutes, Russell became the only driver to break the 1 minute 11-second barrier, edging out Red Bull’s four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen by 0.160 seconds, and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, the current championship leader, by 0.221 seconds.

This marks Russell’s first pole of the season, and the sixth of his Formula 1 career, notably making Montreal the only circuit where he’s secured multiple pole positions, having also started from the front here in 2023.

Qualifying saw intense back-and-forth action in its final minutes. Verstappen had initially led the session until Piastri stole the top spot, only for the Dutchman to swiftly reclaim it—before Russell delivered a last-lap masterclass to clinch pole.

Italian prodigy Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s Mercedes teammate, delivered an impressive performance to take fourth, followed by Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). McLaren’s Lando Norris had a disappointing run, ending seventh, just ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Isaac Hajjar (RB), and Alexander Albon (Williams).

Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, who qualified 11th, will drop 10 places after being penalized for impeding Russell during a red flag in practice.