After a three-week spring break following the Miami Grand Prix, Formula 1 returns for its fifth race of the season at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. It has been an eventful start to the 2026 season; both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April were cancelled due to the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, making Canada just the fifth round despite being three months into the season. The race weekend runs from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Nineteen-year-old Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship after winning three consecutive Grands Prix from pole position this season.
His Mercedes teammate George Russell trails by 20 points; and he’s arriving at a circuit where he took pole in 2024, only to finish third, before going one better last year, winning from pole position. It’s a track that clearly suits him, at a team that has dominated this race for the better part of a decade. Canada could be the weekend that resets this championship fight.
A Historic First for the Circuit
This will also be the Canadian Grand Prix’s first-ever sprint weekend, a significant milestone for one of the calendar’s most beloved circuits. It will be the third sprint weekend of the 2026 season, following the Miami GP.
About the Circuit
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is named after the legendary Canadian driver who lost his life in 1982 while qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix. At 4.361km, the layout is defined by two long straights, very tight hairpins, and very few run-off areas; a combination that drivers tend to love and teams tend to fear.
The most notorious section is the “Wall of Champions” at the exit of Turn 14, the final chicane. The nickname was earned in 1999 after three world champions, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and Jacques Villeneuve, all hit the same barrier in a single weekend. The wall has claimed many careers since.
Previous Winners
Year | Winner | Team
2014 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull
2015 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes
2016 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes
2017 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes
2018 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari
2019 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
2020–21 | Race cancelled (COVID-19) | NA
2022 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull
2023 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull
2024 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull
2025 | George Russell | Mercedes
What Happened Last Year
George Russell won the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix from pole position, dictating the pace throughout the race. Max Verstappen finished second, with Antonelli taking third.
The race’s defining moment came on lap 67 when Lando Norris misjudged an overtake and collided with his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris retired with front suspension damage; Piastri recovered to finish fourth. The result handed Piastri the lead in the drivers’ championship.
Race Weekend Schedule (all times IST / EDT)
Friday, May 22
- Practice One: 10:00pm – 11:00pm IST / 12:30pm – 1:30pm EDT
- Sprint Qualifying: Saturday 2:00am – 2:44am IST / Friday 4:30pm – 5:14pm EDT
Saturday, May 23
- Sprint: 9:30pm – 10:30pm IST / 12:00pm – 1:00pm EDT
- Qualifying: Sunday 1:30am – 2:30am IST / Saturday 4:00pm – 5:00pm EDT
Sunday, May 24
- Canadian Grand Prix: Monday 1:30am IST / 4:00pm EDT
Note: Sunday’s race start was pushed back to 4:00pm local time to avoid a clash with the Indianapolis 500, which takes place on the same day.
Leave a Reply