F1: George Russell Beats Verstappen To Canadian GP Pole Position Despite Setting Identical Times

In a dramatic qualifying session for the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, George Russell clinched pole position, beating Max Verstappen. Although both drivers set an identical lap time, Russell claimed the lead due to setting the time first. The session saw surprises and challenges, with light rain and significant wind adding to the complexity at the historic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

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The conditions were challenging as light rain and wind swept across the track. Despite this, the battle for the pole remained wide open with different drivers topping the practice sessions—Lando Norris for McLaren in FP1, Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin in FP2, and Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes in FP3.

 Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was a surprising early casualty, failing to set a competitive lap and finishing 16th on the weekend where his contract was renewed for another two years. This shocking Q1 exit left both Sauber drivers, Esteban Ocon of Alpine, and Haas's Nico Hulkenberg also eliminated. Max Verstappen, however, set the fastest time in Q1, establishing his pace early on.

The drizzle was less of a factor in Q2, which remained mostly dry. Ferrari struggled with pace, resulting in Charles Leclerc finishing 11th and Carlos Sainz in 12th, both failing to advance to Q3. George Russell led this session, showcasing Mercedes' strength with Hamilton close behind.

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As the final session began under looming clouds, drivers started on used soft tyres to capitalise on the dry track. The Mercedes pair led initially, but it was Russell's final run of 1 minute 12 seconds that set the benchmark. Verstappen matched this time precisely but will start second on the grid due to setting his time after Russell, an extremely rare occurrence. This is the first time since the 1997 European Grand Prix when Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz Herald Frentzen set a 1:21.072s around Jerez.

McLaren's strategic decision for their drivers to complete two flying laps, interspersed with cooldown and warm up laps, paid off.  Lando Norris secured third place, with teammate Oscar Piastri right behind in fourth. VCARB’s Daniel Ricciardo, qualified a strong fifth, followed by FP3 leader Fernando Alonso in sixth. Yuki Tsunoda, also with VCARB, took eighth place, and Hamilton, despite a strong Q2, ended up seventh, getting outqualified by his teammate for the ninth time this season.

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The sole Canadian driver, Lance Stroll qualified ninth, in his Aston Martin, while Williams’ Alex Albon rounded out the top ten after overcoming a wheel nut issue in Q2.

His teammate Logan Sargeant showed improvement, achieving his best qualifying performance of the season in 13th, ahead of Haas’s Kevin Magnussen and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Valtteri Bottas experienced his third consecutive Q1 elimination, qualifying 17th. Esteban Ocon, carrying a grid penalty from Monaco, will start at the back, promoting Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg.

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The 2024 Canadian Grand Prix qualifying was a showcase of skill and strategy under tricky conditions. Russell's pole position, alongside Verstappen, sets the stage for an exciting race. The session highlighted unexpected exits, strategic brilliance, and the constant battle for supremacy in Formula 1.

Starting Order:

1. George Russell (Mercedes)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

5. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

7. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

10. Alex Albon (Williams)

11. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

12. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

13. Logan Sargeant (Williams)

14. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

16. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

17. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

18. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

19. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

20. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

Esteban Ocon has a five-place grid penalty from Monaco and will start at the back of the field.