George Russell snagged the pole position in a nail-biting dead heat with Max Verstappen in Montréal, making for an exciting setup at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The qualifying session in Montréal was nothing short of dramatic, especially with the threat of rain looming large. Sergio Perez, unfortunately, faced an early exit in Q1 for the second consecutive race, leaving Red Bull with just one driver to compete in the later stages.
The chaos didn’t end there. Esteban Ocon, already carrying a five-place penalty due to a collision with Pierre Gasly in Monaco, will start from the back after also being knocked out in Q1.
In Q2, the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz faced their own setbacks, both being knocked out and set to start from the sixth row. The Scuderia’s struggle for pace was evident, contrasting the strong performance from Mercedes.
The highlight of the session came with George Russell’s blistering lap time of 1:12.000, perfectly matched by Max Verstappen to the millisecond. However, since Russell set the time first, he clinched the P1 grid slot. This occurrence marked only the second time since the introduction of the third millisecond in qualifying that there has been a dead heat for pole position.
The final lineup for the race has some surprises and expected placements. Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin showed strong performances, while Ferrari and some other teams seemed to struggle. Fans are anticipating a thrilling race day.
With the starting grid set and the drama of qualifying behind us, the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix promises to be a fantastic spectacle. George Russell’s pole position, secured in an incredibly tight contest, has set the stage for what should be a memorable race.
