Russell and Verstappen set the same pole time in a crazy Canadian qualifier!

Canadian GP classification is unpredictable. No one, absolutely no one, could have predicted what happened in a crazy ‘quality’ where the opposite of what was expected happened and ended with a surprise: Verstappen copied the same time as George in an epic lap! Historical. Same time. Exactly. And the pole went to Russell because he made the time before the Dutchman, on his first lap. Unbelievable. As was the case at the F1 European GP held at Jerez in 1997although things were more barbaric, with three drivers tied at the same time: Schumacher, Frentzen and Villeneuve.

Before this Grand Prix, it was thought that Ferrari would be the favorite in Canada, but nothing happened as expected. The ‘cavallino’ team was diluted, falling with both its cars (Leclerc, 11th and Sainz, 12th) in Q2 for the first time in three years. And Mercedes, who seemed far from the head, went up unexpectedly to remember her glory years again.

Just like the times Hamilton and Rosberg (and later Bottas), this time Russell and Lewis, they had to play for pole in a Q3 that started with water droplets on the drivers’ visors. But this is only a timid threat. The rain stopped and the track was improving second by second.

The battle seems exciting in a strange Q3 because of the main characters who will play it out in two turns. In the battle for the top 10 there was no ‘Checo’ Pérez (out in Q1, 16th), and, to the surprise of many, there were the two Aston Martins of Alonso and Stroll, the two RBs and the Williams of Albon. Life turned upside down, or almost, in Canada, at a Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve where Russell won, Lewis finally out of the equation due to a bad last lap. The 7-time champion, who has already complained about his team in Monaco, stating that this year he does not expect to get any classification from Russell, suggesting that they will not help him because he is leaving for Ferrari in 2025. Be that as it may. maybe, Hamilton is not the height of events and George, yes.

What the 26-year-old driver achieved was the first pole for Mercedes since the 2023 Hungarian GP, ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​a second, the second of Russell’s career since Hungary 2022. Nobody expected them. Hamilton warned ahead of the GP that they could fight for the podium at a track that is completely loyal to Canada because of the step forward they have achieved in their car with its new front wing. But no one expected such speed from the silver arrows, which again hit the nail on the head. Now it was Russell who was smiling.

He did it with very little. Verstappen He once again showed what a great champion he is in a heart-pounder. The Dutchman suffered again with a Red Bull that was no longer crushed and that Max He can only stand by climbing the walls, with his tongue hanging out. In Imola He did it and achieved the pole and victory. In Monaco he walked away. And in Canada, despite another one-turn exhibition full of saves with a car that doesn’t like curbs and potholes, he managed to record the pole time and continue dreaming from 2nd place. Max had to almost kiss the ‘Wall of Champions’ to scratch off the last few thousand that could give him pole position. But he was left with honey on his lips.

Fernando Alonso, 6th

The image of what happened in Canada is completely different in Canada. And it has an explanation: it is an opposite path. It goes from red dominance on a slow curve and a mousey layout, to the complete opposite on a track with lots of speed and aerodynamic efficiency. And the extreme difficulty of having to set a time at the last moment of each session because of how much the track improves every second for fear of the possibility of rain helped to end the usual sanity and order.

So it is understandable that the face of Aston Martin in the layout of the house of its owner, Lawrence Stroll, is unrecognizable compared to Monaco and Imola. The two green cars came out strong due to their top speed on the straight and managed to get into Q2. There, the rain would have helped Alonso try to achieve the miracle of pole position. But it didn’t work in Q3. And in that context, the Asturian signed a good 6th position, 0.228 behind the best times of Russell and Verstappen, with Norris 3rd (0.021 away), Piastri in 4th place at 0.103 and a surprising RB from Ricciardo in 5th place at 0″178 .

Alonso finished close to the Australian, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (7th on 0.280), with the hope of finishing this Sunday by adding some good points, although he knows that Hamilton should have more good speed in a huge Mercedes Tsunoda and Stroll 9th ​​​​Albon closed the surprising Top-10 with 0″701.

Sainz, Leclerc and ‘Checo’, to return

The cross of the day went to Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz in 12th position and Charles Leclerc in 11th. The Monegasque was almost left behind in Q3. Like a Sainz whose car made him a stranger in the last corner. He gave off the gas perhaps a little too early, lost his rear and avoided the accident in front of the ‘Wall of Champions’ with a great save. But there he lost several key tenths that prevented the Spaniard from entering the final match.

For his part, ‘Checo’ Pérez was left in Q3 for the third race in a row, from Q1 for the second race in a row after Monaco, and had to start 16th, from far back.