George Russell produced a stunning lap to beat Max Verstappen to pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix as McLaren were surprisingly outpaced in Montreal.

George Russell lived up to Mercedes’ promising pace from practice by clocking a 1:10.899 to snatch pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix. He edged out Max Verstappen by 0.160s, marking his second straight pole at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri secured third, outperforming McLaren teammate and closest title rival Lando Norris, who was tipped for pole but struggled in Q3 and could only manage seventh after a series of costly errors.

Mercedes’ rising star Kimi Antonelli reinforced the team’s strong showing by taking fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari, meanwhile, underperformed again, with Charles Leclerc finishing eighth despite strong practice form.

Fernando Alonso impressed with sixth for Aston Martin, continuing his recent uptick, while teammate Lance Stroll exited in Q1 at his home race. Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar initially qualified ninth but will drop to 12th due to a three-place grid penalty for impeding Carlos Sainz, whose early exit in Q1 compounded a poor session for Williams.

Alex Albon rounded out the top 10 after a bizarre incident in Q1 where his engine cover detached mid-session, causing a red flag. Yuki Tsunoda qualified 11th but will start from the back after a 10-place grid penalty for a red-flag infraction in final practice.

 

Russell vs. Verstappen: Rivalry Renewed

The Russell-Verstappen front-row pairing mirrors last year’s Canadian GP and comes with added tension after their clash at the Spanish GP. Verstappen, penalized for an apparent retaliatory move against Russell in Spain, is now one penalty point away from a race ban.

Both drivers took a gamble on medium tyres in Q3. Verstappen, who hadn’t shown standout pace earlier, briefly went fastest before Russell’s final lap powered by a phenomenal last sector sealed pole. Russell later described it as one of the most thrilling laps of his life.

Despite the celebrations, Mercedes’ challenge remains converting one-lap speed into race success a weakness seen throughout the season.

Russell couldn’t resist poking fun at Verstappen afterward: “I’ve got a few more points on my licence to play with,” he joked.

Verstappen, however, grew irritated when asked again about his penalty status, calling the repeated questions “childish” and “annoying.”

 

Norris Fumbles as Piastri Extends Lead

The bigger championship storyline may be Piastri’s chance to increase his lead over Norris. Despite a shaky practice session that included a brush with the Wall of Champions, Piastri recovered well and secured third on the grid.

Norris, benefitting from McLaren’s front-suspension upgrade, looked sharp early but cracked under pressure in Q3. Running on softs while others gambled on mediums, he made an error at the final chicane on his first lap and hit a barrier on his second.

“It just wasn’t good enough,” Norris admitted. “Too many mistakes.”

Piastri, meanwhile, was content with his turnaround: “Given how practice went, I’m pretty happy. Third feels good, and I’ll take it.”

 

Canadian GP Qualifying Timesheet

 

F1’s Canadian GP schedule

Sunday June 15

3.50pm: F1 Academy Race Three

5.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Canadian GP build-up

7pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

9pm: Chequered Flag: Canadian GP reaction

10pm: Ted’s Notebook