Preview: Canadian Grand Prix – track guide, start time, weather, how to watch, prediction
© Imago / Eibner
The 2026 Formula 1 season heads to Montreal for a sprint weekend that will culminate with Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli heads into round five as the championship leader in his second season in Formula 1, boasting a 20-point lead over his more experienced teammate George Russell.
Race Preview
Can Russell respond to Antonelli’s recent success?
The season started well for Russell with a pole and a race win in Australia, but he has since lost the spotlight to his Mercedes teammate, Antonelli.
The 19-year-old has won three consecutive Grand Prixs, including a triumph in Miami at the start of the month when he held on to win ahead of the reigning world champion, Lando Norris.
While Antonelli has finished on the podium in all four Grand Prixs this season, Russell has had to settle for two top-three finishes after ending up in fourth spot in Miami.
McLaren aiming to take the fight to Mercedes
Mercedes are expected to dominate the sprint weekend, but the two McLaren drivers will be hoping to put themselves in a mix after a positive outing at the Miami International Autodrome.
Norris and Piastri claimed a one-two in the sprint before they finished second and third, respectively, in the race.
That result was made all the more impressive by the fact Norris started the Grand Prix from fourth, and Piastri fought his way up the order from seventh.
Hamilton eyeing positive weekend after brushing off retirement talk
The three-week gap between rounds four and five brought up speculation about Hamilton’s future in the sport.
However, the seven-time world champion insisted he will compete in F1 for “quite some time” when he spoke to the media on Thursday.
“Everything is 100% clear to me,” Hamilton said. “I am still focused, still motivated, still love what I do with all my heart. I am going to be here for quite some time.
“There are a lot of people who are trying to retire me and that is not even in my thoughts.
“I’m already thinking about what will be next and planning for the next five years. I still plan to be here for quite some time.”
Hamilton had to settle for a sixth-place finish in Miami after suffering damage to his car in an incident with Franco Colapinto in the early stages of the race.
The British driver starts this weekend in fifth spot in the standings, eight points behind his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen focuses back on F1 following Nurburgring outing
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, comes into the Canadian Grand Prix on the back of a debut drive in the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race.
The Dutchman drove the Mercedes AMG GT3 with teammates Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella.
The team were in the lead with over three hours to go until a broken driveshaft ended their race and dreams of victory.
With the focus back on F1, Verstappen will be hoping to improve upon a difficult start to the season, with Red Bull playing catch-up to their competitors in the development battle.
Verstappen is yet to finish higher than fifth place this season, while his teammate, Isack Hadgar, has finished no higher than eighth spot.
Track Guide – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
First official Grand Prix: 1978
Circuit Length: 4.361km
Number of laps: 70
Lap record: Valtteri Bottas 1:13.078 (2019)
Most race wins: Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton (7)
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is undoubtedly one of the best tracks on the Formula 1 Canada due to its fast and flowing nature.
Arguably, the most well-known part of the circuit comes at the end of the lap when drivers ride up close to the Wall of Champions, earning its name after Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher all hit it in 1999.
The circuit held its first F1 Grand Prix in 1978 when it was called the Circuit Ile Notre-Dame before it was renamed after the iconic Gilles Villeneuve following his death at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher and Hamilton have both recorded seven wins at this venue, four more than Nelson Piquet and Verstappen.
Hamilton claimed his last victory in Montreal in 2019, before Verstappen recorded three consecutive victories following a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russell ended Verstappen’s winning run in Canada in last year’s visit to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, joining Hamilton, Jenson Button, Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell in an exclusive group of British drivers to win an F1 race at this venue.
In regard to this year’s race, drivers will be able to use straight mode on three separate occasions during the lap, while the detection point for overtake mode will be just before turn 13.
Canadian GP schedule and results
What time does the Canada sprint start?
The sprint will get underway at midday local time on Saturday, which will be a 5pm start for UK viewers.
What time does Canadian GP qualifying start?
Four hours after the start of the sprint, qualifying will get underway at 4pm local time and 9pm BST.
What time does the Canadian GP start?
Lights out will take place on Sunday at 4pm local time and 9pm for fans watching in the UK.
Sprint qualifying results:
1. George Russell
2. Kimi Antonelli
3. Lando Norris
4. Oscar Piastri
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Max Verstappen
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Arvid Lindblad
10. Carlos Sainz
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Gabriel Bortoleto
13. Franco Colapinto
14. Esteban Ocon
15. Ollie Bearman
16. Fernando Alonso
17. Sergio Perez
18. Lance Stroll
19. Pierre Gasly
20. Valtteri Bottas
21. Alex Albon
22. Liam Lawson
Canadian Grand Prix weather forecast
Saturday
As per the F1 website, the weather on Saturday should be clear with a high of 19°C and maximum wind speeds of 28.8 km/h.
Sunday
In contrast to Saturday, there is a 60% chance of seeing rain on race day in Montreal. The forecast is for a high of 16°C and a maximum wind speed of 36 km/h.
How to watch the Canadian GP in the UK
TV
Sky customers with the relevant package will be able to watch Sunday’s race on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1 channels.
Streaming
You can also watch the race on the Sky Sports app and Sky Go, while non-Sky customers can purchase a NOW TV pass to tune into the Canadian Grand Prix.
Highlights
Channel 4 will show race highlights from 1:20am in the early hours of Monday morning.
Sky Sports are also expected to upload highlights on their app and the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel.
We say: Russell to win
If Friday’s practice and sprint qualifying are anything to go by, Mercedes have taken further steps forward with their significant upgrade package, putting them in a strong position to dominate in Canada.
Russell will be desperate to respond to his teammate in the title battle, and we think he will do just that by winning the Canadian Grand Prix for the second consecutive year.
Written by
Ben Sully