George Russell delivered one of his most thrilling performances to date by seizing pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix, outpacing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.160 seconds. The Mercedes driver set his lap just moments after Verstappen had snatched the fastest time from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Piastri settled for third, while his teammate and title contender Lando Norris could only manage seventh, placing behind impressive runs by Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso.
The front row in Montreal promises a fiery clash between Russell and Verstappen, who are fresh off a controversial incident at the Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen was penalized for colliding with Russell late in that race and now sits one licence point away from a race ban.
Despite the tension, both drivers expressed confidence ahead of Sunday’s showdown. Russell described his pole-setting lap on the medium tyres as one of the most exhilarating of his life, saying it felt as though the car was “on rails” and left him with goosebumps.
Verstappen, meanwhile, remained optimistic despite narrowly missing pole. He praised the Red Bull car's performance and their strategic tyre choices, noting how the track's character—“like a big go-kart on kerbs”—played to their strengths.
McLaren’s Piastri, who had endured a tough weekend before qualifying, expressed satisfaction with third place, ensuring another competitive front-row fight among top-tier drivers in what is shaping up to be a high-stakes race in Montreal.
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