Russell claims back-to-back Canada poles, Sainz exits in Q1 at consecutive races for the first time in almost ten years and 2018 remains the last time both Red Bulls reached Q3 in Canada. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix!
RUSSELL ON POLE AT THE 2025 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
For the second year in a row, George Russell secured pole position at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. This was the sixth pole position of Russell’s career. Canada becomes the first country in which he has recorded multiple pole positions.
Russell becomes the latest driver to secure consecutive pole positions at the Canadian Grand Prix. All of the three latest polesitters here before him – Lewis Hamilton (2015-17), Sebastian Vettel (2018-19) and Max Verstappen (2022-23) – have secured successive poles here.
This was Russell’s – and Mercedes’ – first Grand Prix pole position since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, though Kimi Antonelli took pole for the Sprint race at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix.
This was Russell’s first front row qualification since the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Mercedes became the first engine manufacturer to record ten pole positions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, overtaking Renault at the top of the list.
IN THE TOP TEN
With the second fastest time, Max Verstappen recorded his first front row qualification since the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. It was the fourth year in a row that Verstappen qualified on the front row in Canada.
Oscar Piastri recorded his best Canadian Grand Prix qualifying result to date with third place.
Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth – equalling his second-best Grand Prix qualifying result in Formula 1 and his best since qualifying third at the Miami Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth, qualifying in the top five for a third consecutive race – the first time he has done so since the 2024 British, Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix.
From his 16 appearances in Canada, 2024 is the only time that Hamilton has qualified outside of the top five.
Fernando Alonso reached Q3 for the fourth consecutive race having not reached Q3 at any of the previous six races.
Qualifying seventh for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, Lando Norris recorded his worst qualifying result since setting the tenth fastest time at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc qualified eighth for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. In the last five races, his front row qualification in Monaco is the only time he’s qualified in the top six positions.
This was only the second time, after 2019, that Leclerc reached Q3 at the Canadian Grand Prix.
This was the first time since 2019 that both Ferrari drivers reached Q3 at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Alex Albon made this the third season in a row that a Williams driver has reached Q3 in Canada. On all three occasions, that driver has been Albon and all three times he has qualified tenth.
Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri maintained their 100% Q3 appearance records at the Canadian Grand Prix, while Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar joined the club, of which Nico Rosberg, Juan Pablo Montoya and Mick Schumacher are the only other members.
ELIMINATED IN Q2
Yuki Tsunoda qualified 11th for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, meaning that 2018 remains the last time that Red Bull saw both of their cars reach Q3 in Canada. Tsunoda failed to reach Q3 for the fourth race in a row.
For the first time since the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto out-qualified his team-mate. He qualified 12th for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix; his first top 12 qualifying result since the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
This was the second year in a row that neither Alpine driver reached Q3 at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ollie Bearman qualified 14th for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. It was his best qualifying result since reaching Q3 at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Qualifying 15th for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon moved ahead of Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert to second on the list of most starts without taking a pole position.
With Nico Hulkenberg out in Q2 and Gabriel Bortoleto out in Q1, 2022 remains the only time since 2010 that a Sauber driver has reached Q3 at the Canadian Grand Prix.
OUT IN Q1
Carlos Sainz exited in Q1 at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. Having also been out in Q1 in Spain, this was the first time Sainz recorded Q1 exits at consecutive races since the 2015 Russian and United States Grands Prix.
This was the second year in a row that Sainz failed to reach Q3 in Canada.
Qualifying 18th for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, Lance Stroll became the first driver to record five Q1 eliminations at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
2024 is the only season in which Stroll has reached Q3 at the Canadian Grand Prix, with 2023 being the only other time he has progressed past Q2.
Pierre Gasly set the slowest lap time in Q1 at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. This was the third consecutive season in which an Alpine driver exited in Q1.
This was Gasly’s fourth Q1 exit in his six appearances at the Canadian Grand Prix.
This was Gasly’s first back row qualification since setting the 20th fastest lap time in qualifying for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Gasly was out-qualified by his team-mate for only the second time this season, after Jack Doohan out-qualified him at the Miami Grand Prix.
