Russell Edges Antonelli to Claim Canada Pole 'Out of Nowhere' George Russell secured pole position for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix in a last-lap qualifying session against his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. Russell, who had already won Saturday’s sprint race, faced a tense battle for the top spot. Antonelli initially appeared poised to take pole, surpassing the time set by McLaren’s Lando Norris on his first run. Russell, however, had planned for two laps and delivered a blistering second effort to edge ahead by 0.068 seconds. The final run, which included two flying laps, allowed Russell to secure the position, with him celebrating over the radio after realizing he had achieved pole. Russell described the moment as “the most exhilarating feeling in the world when it comes at the last minute out of nowhere.” He admitted his car was “out of sync” and “out of balance” for much of the session, forcing him to rely on a bold final lap. He noted that during his preparation lap, he saw Antonelli on the TV screen going purple (fastest) and decided to bring a “big lap.” Antonelli, who had looked set to claim pole, expressed disappointment at missing out by such a narrow margin but praised Russell’s performance, calling it “a great lap.” Norris also competed for pole, setting the fastest middle sector before Russell’s final run. The world champion fell 0.083 seconds short of Antonelli’s mark, but Russell raised the bar again. Russell explained that the team had made adjustments to the car for qualifying, anticipating possible wet weather on race day. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished fourth, ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who had been second fastest after the initial runs, lamented missing out on a potential third place but did not specify the reason.#mclaren #mercedes #george_russell #canadian_grand_prix #kim_antonnelli
