Formula 1 returns to Montreal after a three-week pause, and all eyes are on Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old Mercedes rookie made history by securing three consecutive victories from as many pole positions, a run capped in Miami, and now leads teammate George Russell by 20 points after four races. Reigning champion Lando Norris finished second in Miami as Oscar Piastri fought for the podium in a heavily upgraded McLaren.
Round five of the season brings a sprint weekend to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Below are all the session times and broadcast details so you don’t miss a session.
Canadian Grand Prix schedule (BST)
- Friday, May 22: Practice 1 (5:30–6:30 p.m.); Sprint Qualifying (9:30–10:14 p.m.)
- Saturday, May 23: Sprint (5:00–6:00 p.m.); Qualifying (9:00–10:00 p.m.)
- Sunday, May 24: Race (9:00 p.m.)
To avoid a clash with the Indianapolis 500, the grand prix start has been moved to 4:00 p.m. local time in Montreal (9:00 p.m. BST).
How to watch: In the U.K., Sky Sports holds exclusive F1 rights in 2026, with every session live on Sky Sports F1 and coverage also on Sky Sports Main Event. Non-subscribers can catch free-to-air highlights of the Canadian Grand Prix on Channel 4. In the U.S., subscribers can watch every session on Apple TV via the platform’s new F1 channel.
Track guide: The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is named for Canada’s beloved driver, who died during qualifying at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix and had won the first race held at this venue four years earlier. The circuit sits on the man-made Notre Dame Island in the St. Lawrence River, developed for Expo 67 and later used for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. With two long straights, tight hairpins and limited run-off, the layout rewards precision and punishes errors.
Turn 14’s exit wall is the infamous “Wall of Champions,” a moniker earned in 1999 when Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed there during the same weekend. And in true Montreal fashion, groundhogs—native to the island—are often spotted trackside.
Previous winners: 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); 2022 Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 2023 Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 2024 Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 2025 George Russell (Mercedes).
Key stats: The Canadian Grand Prix first ran here in 1978. The race covers 70 laps of the 4.361 km circuit for a total of 305 km. The lap record is 1:13.078, set by Valtteri Bottas in 2019. The most wins at this venue are shared by Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, with seven each.
What to watch next: Can Antonelli extend his streak, or will Russell and the upgraded McLaren pairing of Norris and Piastri close the gap? The sprint format and a later Sunday start add intrigue to an already unpredictable weekend in Montreal.
Source: espn.com