George Russell displayed a stunning performance to secure pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix, sharing the best lap time of one minute and 12.000 seconds with Max Verstappen. As Russell set his time earlier in the session, he earned the advantage and the prime starting spot.
In a gripping conclusion to qualifying, Russell was unable to better his Q2 time, while Verstappen shaved more than a second off his lap, propelling himself to the front row alongside the Briton. Russell’s pole position marked his second career pole and provided a significant boost to Mercedes, who are emerging from a difficult period.
Lando Norris secured third place, just 0.021 seconds behind Russell and Verstappen. Oscar Piastri, Daniel Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top seven. Norris expressed his satisfaction with third place, while Piastri impressed with his strong performance.
Ferrari endured a disappointing qualifying session, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to make it into the top ten shootout. Leclerc, who had an emotional victory at the Monaco Grand Prix just two weeks prior, qualified 11th, while Sainz qualified 12th. This marked the first time since the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix that Ferrari had both cars eliminated without reaching Q3.
The Canadian Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race with Russell and Verstappen starting at the front of the grid. Mercedes will be eager to capitalize on their strong qualifying performance and secure a victory, while Red Bull will be determined to bounce back from their qualifying setback.
