Russell clinches Canada pole, Verstappen laps identical time

George Russell secured pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix in an exhilarating qualifying session where he and Max Verstappen clocked identical times of 1:12.000. Russell, who set his time first, claimed the top spot for Sunday’s race. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the second row, taking third and fourth positions respectively.

Rain threatened at the start of Q2, prompting drivers to rush out on the softest tires. Oscar Piastri initially set the benchmark with a 1:12.462 lap, only for George Russell to take over the top spot shortly after. Verstappen faced challenges and found himself below the cut-off line but managed to scrape through to Q3. Ferrari faced a disastrous session with both drivers failing to make the top 10. Eliminated alongside them were Logan Sargeant, Kevin Magnussen, and Pierre Gasly.

Q3 proceeded without rain, allowing for uninterrupted fast laps. Verstappen initially set the pace but was soon displaced by the Mercedes drivers, with Russell posting a perfect 1:12.000. The McLaren drivers slotted in just behind, with Norris missing out on the provisional pole by a mere 0.021 seconds. In the final moments, Russell and Verstappen ended up with the same lap time, but Russell’s earlier achievement secured him pole.

IT’S A DEAD HEAT BUT GEORGE RUSSELL TAKES POLE!!!! 😱😱

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Verstappen matches the Mercedes driver’s time but because Russell set the time first, HE GETS IT! 👏👏#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/G0sRyNqCf3

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 8, 2024

Rounding out the top 10 were Daniel Ricciardo, who delivered a strong performance for RB Visa to take fifth, followed by Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, Lance Stroll, and Alex Albon. The session set the stage for an exciting race, with Russell and Verstappen leading the charge from the front row.