The 2024 Canadian GP (Grand Prix) is poised to be one of the most closely fought contests of this season. Now, it seems as though it’ll exactly be that way on race day, which is in the next few hours.
Especially after it became clear that Max Verstappen of Red Bull was struggling for pace and grip in the first two free practice sessions, both of which were rain hit, one became aware of Red Bull not holding track advantage.
But guess what? In the end, it’s exactly how it panned out as in yet another qualifying round this season, one didn’t really find a Red Bull setting pace and conquering pole position.
With the top five separated by a margin as dainty as twenty one thousandths of a second, it wasn’t a Red Bull, it wasn’t a McLaren either that captured pole here at Montreal, home to the Canadian Grand Prix.
The top honours on a breezy Saturday belonged to George Russell, who starts only for the third time in his career on pole. Andrew what a heroic effort it was, it ought to be said!
Not that his teammate Lewis Hamilton was languishing too far behind having set purple sectors for the majority of Q1 and Q2, ultimately it was Russell out in front, who with his 1:12:000 became pole sitter for the first time for a Canadian Grand Prix, finding Verstappen with the exact identical time following in second.
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McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was quick, though not quick enough, is to begin his 2024 Canadian Grand Prix from third while teammate Oscar Piastri, contesting in just his second F1 season, clocked in an impressive fourth.
Placing his car on fifth was Visa Cash App RB team’s Daniel Ricciardo, whose ballsy and timely effort saw the Australian driver claiming his best start to a Grand Prix this season.
Not only did Ricciardo, a winner of several Grands Prix, leave several fans stunned, in the process of registering a fighting fifth, he may just have prompted Jacques Villeneuve to wonder whether his scathing criticism of the Aussie was rather poorly timed.
“Why’s he still here in F1,” asked Jacques prior to the start of the Canadian GP qualifying and with Ricciardo recording his best start to an F1 race this season, perhaps the Perth-born has given his detractors some for thoughts.
Surprising as it may seem, Lewis Hamilton, who’d been imperiously quick during much of the qualifying battle found himself on seventh, finishing just behind old time rival, Fernando Alonso who grabbed a sixth.
Tsunoda, fresh from a new contract extension found himself an eighth while local hero Lance Stroll managed a ninth, which was just better than Alex Albon’s P10.
Albon would do well to remember that it was here in Canada last year where he began mounting a turnaround of sorts; his incredibly hard fought seventh on race day turned a corner of sorts for Williams and his effort earned him the “Driver of the day” award in the end.
But where turning a corner is concerned, it appears as though Leclerc and Sainz have a massive one to turn with both Ferrari drivers finding themselves knocked out at the end of Q2, thus failing to make it to Q3.
Opting for a used set of softs instead of a brand new set of tyres, the twin Ferraris were grappling with a lack of grip, something that infuriated Leclerc whilst leaving Sainz completely dumbfounded over team radio.
In the end, the two Scuderia machines might have to engage in a splendid recovery drive on Sunday in order to salvage something face saving of sorts at Montreal.
Sargeant, Magnussen and Gasly gathered thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth, respectively doing ever so little to impress while the one who suffered an enormity of distress, yet again, was Sergio Perez of Red Bull.
What on earth might have Perez done to deserve a contract extension at Red Bull is something no secret intelligence agency can decode but nor can any fictional detective legend such as Sherlock- won’t you agree?
It’s not the first time that the talented Mexican failed to make it to Q3, having suffered a hideous run of similar form on three other occasions. He’s fast and very capable when he gets going but off late, that’s hardly been the case.
On Sunday, Verstappen might have to give it everything to emerge ahead of the spirited George Russell who ultimately denied Verstappen a hat trick of poles at Canada.
It’s a track that’s punctuated by several straights and plenty of low speed corners and of course, the challenging Wall Of The Champions at turn 4, all of which shall pose meaty questions to the twenty battlers who’ll drive with all their might in a bid to improve after all.
But who emerges the quickest and the first to pass the checkered flag in what could be an absorbing 70-lap battle spread over 189.6 miles worth of race distance shall form the big question. Will it be a first win for Mercedes? Will Red Bull find a way to thwart Russell’s ambition or will someone else get to find the silver lining in the skies?
There’s so much to look forward to at the 59th instalment of the Canadian Grand Prix, a contest that was first held way back in 1968 but in the years hence, has come such a long way.