George Russell says he never doubted himself after Sprint Qualifying pole in Montreal

The Briton arrived in Montreal on the ropes as teammate Kimi Antonelli has been on a roll, winning three races so far in 2026, with Russell just on one.

Antonelli started the weekend in Canada by going fastest in practice, but then Russell emerged as the better Mercedes driver in Sprint Qualifying taking pole position with the Italian managing second.

Speaking after Sprint Qualifying, Russell insisted he was never worried about his performance; he said: "This feels great after a tough Miami, but I never doubted myself. I know what I can do. Miami is unique, but this is an amazing circuit with high grip.

"It feels you are driving a proper F1 car around here, which is how it should be. It came together today," he added.

The Mercedes W17 flexed its muscles around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with the major upgrade package the team brought this weekend, which consolidated their status as leaders of the 2026 F1 pecking order.

Russell commented: "The team have done a great job to bring things forward, and there is now a big focus for tomorrow. We are making baby steps.

"I am not going to say we are going to fly off the line," he warned, hinting at Mercedes' sluggish starts compared to the likes of McLaren and Ferrari.

"I hope that's the case, but history tells us that hasn't happened often or at all this year. McLaren have been making good starts," he concluded.

Indeed, both Mercedes drivers will be wary of Lando Norris starting the Sprint race from third while Oscar Piastri starts from fourth, as McLaren has managed to launch its Mercedes-powered cars much better than their power unit supplier.