Canadian Grand Prix 2026 Schedule

The Canadian Grand Prix unfolds this Sunday at Montreal's Gilles Villeneuve circuit, marking the seventh round of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Twenty-two drivers from eleven teams are competing, including Argentinian Franco Colapinto driving for Alpine.

The race begins at 5 p.m. Argentine time and is broadcast live on Fox Sports, with online streaming available on Flow, DGO, and Telecentro Play, as well as Disney+ Premium. This event is the fifth Grand Prix of 2026, following cancellations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the Middle East conflict.

Mercedes has shown overwhelming dominance, with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell leading every session. Russell, second in the drivers' standings behind Antonelli, won Saturday's sprint race and secured pole position for the third consecutive time in Montreal. However, a minor dispute arose between the teammates during the sprint race, with the 19-year-old Antonelli reportedly complaining about a potentially unfair maneuver by Russell, prompting intervention from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Behind the dominant Mercedes cars are the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Franco Colapinto, after a strong ninth place in the sprint race despite starting 13th, qualified for Q3 and will start tenth, hoping to score points for the second race in a row. His teammate Pierre Gasly starts 14th.

The Gilles Villeneuve circuit is a semi-street track characterized by long straights and hard braking zones, emphasizing energy efficiency. The chicanes and heavy braking offer significant opportunities for battery recovery, a skill drivers are refining. The circuit's proximity to the walls, particularly the "Wall of Champions" at the exit of the final corner, punishes errors severely. Aggressive driving on the curbs is key to gaining time, but requires precise execution due to their height.

In 2025, George Russell won the Canadian Grand Prix by a narrow margin of 0.228 seconds over Max Verstappen. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton hold the record for most wins in Montreal with seven each. Among current competitors, Verstappen has won three times (2022, 2023, 2024), and Fernando Alonso won in 2006.