The ongoing rivalry between George Russell and Max Verstappen could see more drama at the Canadian Grand Prix as both locked the front row in Saturday’s qualifying. Russell, representing Mercedes, secured pole position for the sixth time in his Formula 1 career with a lap time of 1 minute, 10.899 seconds, narrowly ahead of Verstappen of Red Bull by .160 seconds.
Last year in Montreal, Russell also won the pole but ended the race in third place as Verstappen clinched victory. The two drivers have had several on-track altercations over the past seasons, including an incident at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend. During that race, Verstappen made contact with Russell, causing him to veer off course and earning Verstappen three penalty points. This leaves him precariously close to facing a one-race suspension.
Although Verstappen later admitted that his actions were unwise, this didn’t seem to pacify Russell, who has labeled Verstappen as an aggressive driver. Despite the looming threat of suspension, Verstappen remains determined to maintain his combative driving style at the Montreal race.
Russell added a humorous spin to the situation by joking, “We’re mates, it’s all good. I’ve got a few more points on my license to play with,” drawing laughter from the fans at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In a post-qualifying news conference, he expressed confidence that the race would proceed without major issues.
“We’re both fighting for the win here, and neither of us are in a championship battle yet,” Russell said. “I want a win this year, so I’m aiming to notch one up.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen expressed frustration and has had enough of the debate. “I don’t need to hear it again. It’s really irritating. It’s a childish narrative,” remarked Verstappen, expressing his displeasure at the ongoing discussions.
Russell acknowledged Verstappen’s talent, saying, “I don’t think any driver goes out looking to crash into somebody. Max is exceptionally skilled, there’s no need for him to alter his style, nor do I expect he will. If anything, he may drive even more assertively to make a point.”
The qualifying session presented some surprises given McLaren’s dominant performance so far this season. Championship leader Oscar Piastri qualified in third place, while his teammate Lando Norris took the seventh position. The McLaren duo has dominated the season, collectively clinching seven out of nine races and topping the championship standings. Verstappen, who remains skeptical about defending his title for a fifth straight year, has secured two wins this season.
Piastri stated he was pleased with his position, “Considering how practice unfolded, I’m quite content with third. It was a nice turnaround and a bit different from this year’s usual.”
Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s teammate at Mercedes, qualified in fourth position. Following him were Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, achieving his best qualifying position this season for Aston Martin.
After Norris, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari qualified eighth, followed by Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls and Alex Albon of Williams. Albon experienced a peculiar situation in the first qualifying round when his Williams shed its engine cover, scattering debris on the track and causing a red flag, but this didn’t stop him from advancing.
Unfortunately, Carlos Sainz Jr., Albon’s teammate, was knocked out in the first round. Yuki Tsunoda qualified 11th but was demoted due to a 10-place grid penalty and received two points on his license for an infraction involving overtaking Piastri during a red flag in an earlier practice session.