The Canadian Grand Prix marked the fifth round of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Montreal once again highlighting the strength of Mercedes power. Across both Sprint Qualifying and the main qualifying session, the Silver Arrows-powered cars proved to be the benchmark, locking out the front rows and setting the pace heading into race day.
Ferrari arrived in Canada expected to struggle, as the characteristics of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit appeared likely to expose the SF-26’s weaknesses even further. However, Lewis Hamilton showed that Ferrari could remain competitive, particularly over a single lap, where the Scuderia looked closer to Mercedes than many had anticipated. Race pace, however, remained more of a question mark.
The 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix carried an additional layer of uncertainty, with rain threatening at the start. That created a particularly unpredictable situation for the field, given the limited wet-weather data available on the latest generation of Formula 1 machinery.
Canadian Grand Prix 2026 race report
Thirty minutes before lights out, a few drops of rain began to appear over Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, while drivers headed out of the pit lane to assess conditions on slick tyres. Temperatures had dropped significantly compared to the previous day, with track temperature down to 17°C and air temperature sitting at just 13°C. Conditions, as noted in the paddock, made grip extremely difficult to find.
Most of the grid opted for the soft compound at the start, while both McLaren drivers and Cadillac chose intermediate tyres. The race start was delayed when Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad was unable to engage a gear following the formation lap, forcing the field into additional formation laps while marshals cleared the stranded car.
After nearly a ten-minute delay, the Canadian Grand Prix finally got underway in light drizzle. Lando Norris made an excellent getaway to immediately take the lead, while George Russell suffered a poor launch and was overtaken by his Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton also made a strong start, gaining a position to move into fourth place.
Oscar Piastri was one of the first to react strategically, diving into the pits immediately to switch from intermediates to medium tyres. Lando Norris followed one lap later. That handed Kimi Antonelli the lead, setting up an intense Mercedes battle at the front, with Lewis Hamilton keeping himself close enough to remain a factor.
On lap six, George Russell aggressively reclaimed position from Kimi Antonelli at the final corner, catching his younger team mate off guard and forcing him into a lock-up that nearly ended in the barriers. Ferrari’s soft tyres were already beginning to struggle, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fighting rear grip and tyre degradation. Max Verstappen took full advantage, passing Lewis Hamilton on lap nine with relative ease to move into fourth.
Further back, Lando Norris began recovering after sacrificing track position through the early pit stop strategy. By lap 12, he had climbed to ninth. Up front, the Mercedes intra-team fight intensified, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli repeatedly exchanging positions through the final chicane and into Turn 2, delivering some of the most exciting wheel-to-wheel action of the race.
By lap 19, the Mercedes pair were running side by side again after an error from George Russell at the hairpin. The decisive move came on lap 22 before the Wall of Champions, with Kimi Antonelli briefly moving ahead. Two laps later, another dramatic exchange unfolded when Antonelli ran wide at the final corner while battling Russell and was instructed to hand the position back after gaining an advantage. Race control took note of the incident.
Second half of the Canadian Grand Prix
The race changed dramatically in the second half when George Russell suffered a shock retirement. The Mercedes driver ran wide entering Turn 8 before his car came to a halt, triggering yellow flags and a Virtual Safety Car. It was later confirmed that a power unit issue caused the engine to shut down before the corner, leaving Russell powerless to continue.
The Virtual Safety Car reshuffled the order, moving Lewis Hamilton into the top three, with Charles Leclerc also gaining positions. Ferrari’s race had been relatively quiet up to that point, largely because the soft compound had failed to deliver consistent performance. Once the switch to medium tyres came, however, the Scuderia came alive.
During the VSC period, most of the field pitted for medium tyres. Charles Leclerc emerged in fifth place behind Isack Hadjar, and their battle quickly attracted attention. The Racing Bulls driver made an aggressive defensive move with a late change of direction while Leclerc attempted an overtake, an action immediately noted by the stewards.
With medium tyres underneath them, Ferrari looked transformed. Lewis Hamilton became one of the fastest drivers on track, while Charles Leclerc relentlessly pressured Hadjar before finally making the move stick at Turn 14 on lap 39.
McLaren’s afternoon then took another hit when Lando Norris retired following an error. Not long afterwards, race stewards handed Isack Hadjar a 10-second penalty for his defensive driving against Charles Leclerc.
As the race entered its closing stages, Max Verstappen began reporting severe tyre degradation over team radio. With fewer than 20 laps remaining, an extra pit stop looked increasingly risky and created an opening for Lewis Hamilton to target second place.
More drama followed on lap 53 when Oscar Piastri received a stop-and-go penalty after contact with Carlos Sainz. Charles Leclerc also endured a nervous moment, nearly spinning his Ferrari but managing to keep the SF-26 pointed in the right direction.
One lap later, Lewis Hamilton caught Max Verstappen. The battle built over several laps, with the seven-time world champion asking Ferrari for more power over team radio as he hunted the Red Bull. The decisive move finally came on lap 62, when Lewis Hamilton completed a superb overtake around the outside of Turn 1 to secure second place.
Canadian Grand Prix 2026 final classification
Mercedes once again underlined its dominance, with Kimi Antonelli claiming a fourth consecutive victory in Formula 1. Behind him, Lewis Hamilton delivered his strongest result yet as a Ferrari driver by finishing second, while Max Verstappen completed the podium. Charles Leclerc recovered to fourth after a difficult afternoon.
- Kimi Antonelli
- Lewis Hamilton
- Max Verstappen
- Charles Leclerc
- Isack Hadjar
- Franco Colapinto
- Liam Lawson
- Pierre Gasly
- Carlos Sainz
- Ollie Bearman
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Oscar Piastri
- Esteban Ocon
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Sergio Perez (DNF)
- Lando Norris (DNF)
- George Russell (DNF)
- Fernando Alonso (DNF)
- Alexander Albon (DNF)
- Arvid Lindblad (DNF)
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