Canadian GP 2025 Grid Positions: George Russell With Last Laugh Winning Pole Position Over Max Verstappen While McLaren Racer Receives Penalty

Mercedes Racer George Russell

Not more than two weeks ago, Max Verstappen’s action against George Russell got the Dutch racer in trouble. He was slapped with two penalty points, one short of automatic suspension from the next race. And now to rub salt on the wound, his rival, George Russell, clinched the pole position at the F1 Canadian GP 2025, outpacing the odds in the last lap.

After the first runs in Q3, Russell was third. The difference was just 0.268 seconds, with Verstappen already posting his best time in the qualifying rounds. On the second run, Russell posted a 1:10.899, – 0.160s faster than Verstappen. Interestingly, this is Russell’s second pole at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, following on from his 2024 pole in the fastest Montreal pole. Russell was pleased and surprised to win the pole position.

“I mean, that last lap was probably one of the most exhilarating laps of my life, because on my steering wheel, on the delta, I just saw every corner, I was going a tenth quicker, a tenth quicker. I got into the last corner and was six-tenths up and I was like: ‘Alright, this is the lap’ and P1 was a real surprise.”

Table topper Oscar Piastri stands third with 1.11.120 time completing the opening grid of the Canadian GP 2025.  His teammate and 2024 runners-up Lando Norris will start from seventh position, while Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will start from fifth and sixth positions, respectively.

The re-evaluated timing forced a few changes at the bottom half of the grid, with Hadjar starting from the 12th position instead of ninth following a three-place grid penalty for impeding Carlos Sainz in Q1. Elsewhere, Tsunoda received a 10-place grid penalty for a red-flag infringement in third practice. Check out the complete grid for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix below.

Also Read: F1 2026 Schedule Out: With 24-Race Calendar Formula One Reshuffles Dates and Add Set of Technical Regulations.

Adjusted 2025 F1 Canadian GP Starting Grid after Penalties

PositionDriverTeam
1stGeorge RussellMercedes
2ndMax VerstappenRed Bull
3rdOscar PiastriMcLaren
4thKimi AntonelliMercedes
5thLewis HamiltonFerrari
6thFernando AlonsoAston Martin
7thLando NorrisMcLaren
8thCharles LeclercFerrari
9thAlex AlbonWilliams
10thFranco ColapintoAlpine
11thNico HulkenbergStake
12thIsack Hadjar – PENALTYRacing Bulls
13thOllie BearmanHaas
14thEsteban OconHaas
15thGabriel BortoletoStake
16thCarlos SainzWilliams
17thLance StrollAston Martin
18thLiam LawsonRacing Bulls
19thPierre GaslyAlpine
20thYuki Tsunoda – PENALTYRed Bull

The Canadian GP 2025 will start from 2:00 PM ET and will impact the racers’ F1 standings. Currently, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris lead the table with 186 and 176 points respectively, while Verstappen is third with 137 points, followed by George Russell on 111 points after nine races.   

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Kushal
Passionate about the game and driven by storytelling, Kushal is a seasoned sports news and analysis writer with a knack for breaking down the big plays and spotlighting rising stars.