Formula 1 saw Mercedes dominate the Sprint Qualifying for the 2026 Canadian GP this Friday. George Russell secured pole for the Sprint in Montreal, and Toto Wolff made it clear that he never lost confidence in the Brit, even after the below-par performance in Miami.
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Russell edged out teammate Kimi Antonelli by a small margin at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The difference between the two drivers was just 0.063 seconds, securing a Mercedes one-two on the front row of the grid for Saturday’s Sprint.
Wolff highlighted that the result boosts Russell’s confidence but stated that the team never questioned the driver’s potential. “It’s just the short race, but it’s good to see the pace is there, also for his confidence. We never had doubts about that. Miami was a bad track,” said the Mercedes boss to Sky Sports.
The executive also praised Antonelli, winner of the last three races of the 2026 season. “It has always been clear that the kid is fast and has already shown that. It’s good for both of them to fight like this. It makes the team faster,” he emphasized.
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Mercedes debuted an important upgrade package in Canada, including changes to the front wing and the front area of the car to improve airflow and cooling. Wolff admitted that the work to bring the updates to the W17 was intense and believes the car’s potential could be even greater.
“It was a huge workload to get everything on the car. I think if Lewis hadn’t made the mistake in the chicane, he’d probably be fighting for pole with us,” he said. Despite the encouraging result, the Mercedes boss avoided excessive excitement before the main qualifying and Sunday’s race.
Behind the Mercedes cars, McLaren will occupy the second row with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc complete the third row for Ferrari.
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