F1 Canadian GP - Sprint Qualifying Tips & Predictions For Monreal

Written By James Chittick | Published at May 22, 2026

With the weekend underway in Montreal, here are our F1 Canadian GP Sprint tips & predictions ahead of the action at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Formula One returns this weekend for part two of its North American stint, following an intriguing race in Miami.

Kimi Antonelli took his third victory in a row to grow his championship lead to 20 points, but Mercedes' lead at the front of the grid has narrowed significantly.

The likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all brought significant upgrades to the Miami International Autodrome. In the sprint race, defending world champion Lando Norris led teammate Oscar Piastri to a McLaren one-two in a much-improved papaya package.

Looking ahead to this weekend, it's difficult to call a winner before the cars have taken to the track for practice. And this year, Canada will also host a sprint race for the first time, adding to the drama and chaos of an already much-loved weekend on the calendar.

F1 Canadian GP Sprint Predictions

The Canadian GP weekend is always hard to predict, with weather, safety cars and red flags causing chaos almost every year.

That's why we love it though, and why this should be an exciting, all-action event.

Mercedes will be the team to beat once again, but McLaren looks to be the most likely challenger.

British duo George Russell and Lando Norris both love this track, as does Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is the favourite with most UK betting sites, with the Italian priced around 2.80 to win the Grand Prix.

We fancy Russell, though. Having won the opening race in Australia, he has a point to prove after Antonelli claimed victory in the following three rounds, and will fancy his chances at a track where he was victorious last year.

Both, barring any mishaps, will be fighting for the win, but don't discount McLaren or the resurgent Red Bull of four-time champion Max Verstappen.

Elsewhere, the Ferrari pair of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be hoping for another of their lightning-fast starts to put the Prancing Horse in a strong position in the sprint. However, they have so far struggled to translate early leads into wins, in both sprint races and full Grand Prix.

F1 Canadian GP - Sprint Tips

Below, we have picked out three of our best tips for the Canadian GP sprint qualifying and sprint race.

All odds taken from Betnero at 09:30 UK time on Friday, 22 May 2026.

Sprint Qualifying Winner - Lando Norris - 9.25

First up, we are backing McLaren's Lando Norris to claim a second successive sprint pole here in Canada.

The Brit returned to form in Miami in a much-improved car and showed exactly why he is the reigning drivers' world champion.

If McLaren brings a similar pace this weekend, Norris is likely to be the biggest threat to Mercedes and may have enough to snatch pole.

Plus, with odds of 9.25, this represents a great opportunity for profit if Norris can get the job done.

Sprint Race Winner - George Russell - 3.30

Next up, George Russell is our pick to win the sprint in Montreal. The Mercedes man simply loves racing at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and openly admits it's one of his favourite tracks.

Russell won last year's Grand Prix from pole, and the race pace of the Mercedes makes the British driver one of the favourites, along with teammate and championship leader Antonelli.