Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen
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While all eyes were on which McLaren driver would take pole, Max Verstappen proved once again he isn’t to be underestimated in qualifying. With the fastest lap in Formula 1 history, the Dutchman snatched pole by just 0.077 seconds over Lando Norris in Q3.
“It was tight,” said Verstappen. “We were still lacking a tiny amount, made some final changes which I think allowed me to push a bit more, and that’s exactly what you need in Qualifying, so for us it’s a great moment.”
Championship leader Oscar Piastri, however, starts on the second row alongside last year’s Italian GP winner Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari’s Home Hopes Checked
Whilst Ferrari had set the tone in FP1, their flashes of brilliance ultimately weren’t enough to challenge for the top spot. Lewis Hamilton will drop down to 10th after a five-place grid penalty he earned last week in Zandvoort, for failing to slow down under double yellow flags.
Mercedes Hold Race-Day Potential
The track in Montreal is quite similar in nature to Monza with its long straights and low speed corners. Mercedes won last time around in Montreal so they could be in the mix for a podium on Sunday if we see a repeat in performance.
Many took advantage of the long straights this week with drivers tagging closely behind the other to gain from the slipstream.
Tough Day For Racing Bulls
One team that didn’t manage the best of runs though was Racing Bulls. Plagued with traffic and possible damage from going wide, both Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson were out in Q1, a stark contrast to their podium-earning performance in Zandvoort last week.
A Mixed Midfield
Aston Martin low-downforce package has proved difficult for them. However, Fernando Alonso managed to maximise what he had, pushing his racing-green car to a Q3 spot.
Williams had targeted Monza as a circuit to get back on track. However, they too were undone by out-lap and tire management, leaving them to limit the damage tomorrow from the seventh row. Sauber, meanwhile, had a mixed one too. Gabriel Bortoleto once again pulled off an amazing qualifying, lining up 7th on the grid on Sunday. His teammate, Nico Hulkenberg however, lagged behind, out in Q2.
Alpine’s struggles continued in Monza. Pierre Gasly, who just signed a multi-year deal with the Enstone-based team, was outqualified by his rookie teammate. A difficult start to a new chapter.
Starting Grid
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Ollie Bearman (Haas)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)