Formula 1 returns from a three-week hiatus with a trip to Montreal, and George Russell is threatening to make the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve his personal turf.
After winning here in 2025, he captured the pole again for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday, using a surprising and explosive final lap to claim the top spot in qualifying.
The F1 odds board continues to run through the young Mercedes pairing of Russell and Kimi Antonelli after a dominant start to the season.
I break it all down in our Canadian Grand Prix predictions for Sunday, May 24.
2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix odds
| Driver |  |
|---|---|
 George Russell |
43% |
| Kimi Antonelli |
31% |
 Lando Norris |
12% |
| Oscar Piastri |
5% |
 Lewis Hamilton |
5% |
 Max Verstappen |
4% |
| Charles Leclerc |
2% |
Odds as of 5-24.
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F1 Canadian Grand Prix 2026 post-qualifying picks
Race prediction: Kimi Antonelli to win (+213)
Kimi Antonelli was oh-so-close to his fourth straight pole, but he’s in a great position to push his teammate and pick up a fourth straight checkered flag.
George Russell has finished off the podium in two straight races, while Antonelli happens to be maneuvering the Mercedes better than his teammate... and it will show on Sunday.
Best bet: Isack Hadjar Top 6 finish (+150)
Isack Hadjar was fast in qualifying all afternoon, threatening at the front of the pack before fading down to seventh.
Inclement weather is expected on race day in Montreal, so if any drama occurs at the front of him at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, he could be in line to best his top finish in 2026: an eighth-place showing in China.
F1 Canadian Grand Prix 2026 starting grid
| Position | Driver | Position | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russell | 2 | Antonelli |
| 3 | Norris | 4 | Piastri |
| 5 | Hamilton | 6 | Verstappen |
| 7 | Hadjar | 8 | Leclerc |
| 9 | Lindblad | 10 | Colapinto |
| 11 | Hulkenberg | 12 | Lawson |
| 13 | Bortoleto | 14 | Gasly |
| 15 | Sainz | 16 | Bearman |
| 17 | Ocon | 18 | Albon |
| 19 | Alonso | 20 | Perez |
| 21 | Stroll | 22 | Bottas |
F1 Canadian Grand Prix 2026 pre-qualifying favorites
This Mercedes duo has been dominant to start the 2026 season. They are 1-2 in the Drivers' Standings, and Kimi Antonelli has now won three straight races after George Russell won the season opener in Australia.
As such, it's Antonelli atop the board with +203 odds and Russell just behind him at +213. In last year's edition, Russell won, and Antonelli finished third.
Lando Norris (+614) is third on the board after finishing runner-up and just 3.3 seconds behind Antonelli in Miami. Last year's champion currently sits fourth in this year's standings.
Three-time Canadian GP champ Max Verstappen (+1000) and Oscar Piastri (+1000) are the only others on the board with 10/1 odds or shorter. Piastri has had the more notable finishes lately, finishing second and third in his last two races.
Verstappen has not finished better than fifth this season (Miami), but the four-time champion continues to loom large in Montreal.
Previous F1 Canadian Grand Prix winners
| Year | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | George Russell |
Mercedes |
| 2024 | Max Verstappen |
Red Bull |
| 2023 | Max Verstappen |
Red Bull |
| 2022 | Max Verstappen |
Red Bull |
| 2019 | Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
| 2018 | Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari |
| 2017 | Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
| 2016 | Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
| 2015 | Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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