Mercedes' Russell takes shock pole over Verstappen at Canadian GP -

Identical Times Set By Russell and Verstappen.

In the qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix, George Russell and Max Verstappen both set identical lap times. Despite this tie, Russell claimed pole position as he achieved his time earlier in the session. Russell posted a time of 1:12.000 on his first Q3 run, which was precisely matched by Verstappen in the final moments of qualifying.

As per Formula One regulations, in cases of equal times, the driver who set the time first is granted the higher grid position. Lando Norris secured third place for McLaren, with teammate Oscar Piastri in fourth, just 0.021 seconds behind Russell and Verstappen.

“It’s been a great day!," exclaimed Russell after the session. “It was such a tight fight for pole position. The previous few races I’ve been a matter of hundredths of a second behind the car ahead, so it’s nice to be on the upside of that today! In the end, Q3 was difficult. I did my best lap of the session in Q2, and I didn’t improve on my last lap in Q3. I wasn’t sure therefore whether I had taken pole position as I crossed the line. The new tire is usually worth three to four tenths of a second but thankfully, my first run on the used tire was good enough for P1."

“The car has been so good this weekend," continued Russell. “Everyone at Brackley and Brixworth has been working so hard to bring updates and performance. This hard work is now translating into results which is fantastic to see. It’s only been two races and on unique circuits, but the steps we’ve taken to get closer to the front are encouraging. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow now. We will be aiming for victory but there are plenty of unknowns with this new surface and the weather. I’m feeling confident in the car and in myself though so bring it on!"

Russell’s pole position signifies Mercedes’ first of the season following early struggles with car performance since the Bahrain opener. The introduction of a new front wing at the Monaco Grand Prix addressed a key car weakness, with Russell accrediting Mercedes’ factory work for the pole position.

For Verstappen, a front row start will be a welcome sign after the struggles he and the team faced in FP1 and FP2.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 07: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 07, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202406070479 // Usage for editorial use only //

"I’m happy to be on the front row for tomorrow’s race and it was certainly more than I thought was possible after FP3," said Verstappen. “We always knew this track was going to be a bit more tricky than others and it seems that a lot of the teams are catching up. Today it was about managing the tires with the graining, but if you look at the pace we did well and improved nicely every run. We tried to do the best we can and just need to make sure we have a cleaner weekend as we have been slightly on the back foot. Looking to tomorrow, I think it will come down to the weather and tire behavior. The rain will make it more interesting, especially with the tarmac making it more slippery, the chicanes and the close walls. It has been a difficult weekend, but considering everything we definitely maximized the result in qualifying and I am looking forward to tomorrow."

Ferrari faced challenges in qualifying, with Charles Leclerc missing out on Q3 by 0.032s, placing him 11th, and Carlos Sainz in 12th. Daniel Ricciardo took fifth for RB, while Yuki Tsunoda will start eighth. Sergio Pérez will begin 16th after being knocked out in Q1 for the second consecutive weekend. Valtteri Bottas qualified 17th ahead of Esteban Ocon, who will start last due to a penalty. Nico Hülkenberg moves up to 18th, and Zhou Guanyu will start 19th after qualifying 20th.

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