#F1 #Qualifying: @GeorgeRussell63 beats @Max33Verstappen to #CanadianGP pole.

Russell Canadian GP Pole – Mercedes’ George Russell beat reigning world champion Max Verstappen to pole position in a thrilling qualifying session at the Canadian GP and scored his back-to-back poles in Montreal as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top three.

The front row of the grid sets up an exciting Grand Prix on Sunday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve after both Verstappen and Russell tangled at the Spanish GP.

In Q3, the initial flyers saw Leclerc the first to post a 1:11.729 as Norris made an error through the final chicane to abandon his hot-lap.

Piastri was next to go fastest with a 1:11.273 with two purples to be 0.456 seconds clear as Alonso and Hamilton slotted into P4 and P5 as Verstappen pipped Piastri to provisional pole with a 1:11.248 with a purple opening sector and two personal bests to be a slim 0.025 seconds clear of the Australian.

Russell was next and ended up third quickest in the order as Antonelli followed behind in fourth whilst on his next push lap, Norris could only get to fifth.

The final hot-laps saw Alonso on the mediums slot into P4 briefly as Hamilton moved into that spot.

Leclerc had to abandon his flyer after a mistake at the beginning of sector two despite being up in sector one and had to box, whilst Piastri shot to the top with a 1:11.120, but that was short-lived as Verstappen went even faster with a 1:11.059. Then Russell was next and pushed his Silver Arrow to hit a 1:10.899 and snatch the pole position from the Dutchman by 0.160 seconds.

The other Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli took fourth and ahead of Ferrari’s Hamilton who was fifth and Aston Martin’s Alonso who qualified sixth.

McLaren’s Norris could not improve on his final tour and wounded up seventh and in-front of the aforementioned Leclerc who came eighth in the classification as RB’s Isack Hadjar and Williams’ Alexander Albon completed the top ten.

In the second qualifying stage, which was topped by Russell, a late improvement from Hadjar saw Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda knocked out in Q2 in 11^th, but the Japanese driver will start at the back of the grid due to a 10-grid-placed-penalty for a red flag infringement (overtaking Piastri under a red flag during FP3).

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was 12^th and ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg who improved up to 13^th on his final flying lap as Haas’s Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon were the slowest of the Q2 runners in 14^th and 15^th respectively.

In the opening segment, which was topped by Norris, a red flag was brought out with five minutes and 30 seconds remaining after the engine cover and bodywork blew off Williams’ Alexander Albon FW47 entry down the back straight.

After the debris was cleared and we reached the end of the session Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was the quickest of the Q1 eliminatees wounding up 16^th after late improvements from team-mate Hulkenberg, Williams’ Albon and Haas’s Bearman.

The other Williams FW37 entry of Carlos Sainz was impeded on his final flyer by RB’s Hadjar at the end of sector one and could not progress into Q2, ending up 17^th.

Home favourite Lance Stroll was 18^th for Aston Martin as RB’s Liam Lawson and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly brought up the rear.

You can see the full Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix Du Canada 2025 Qualifying Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2025/races/1263/canada/qualifying

2025 Canadian GP Qualifying – The Top Three

2025 Canadian GP Pole Position – George Russell, #63, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W16 – 1:10.899:

“Today was awesome, in front of this amazing crowd! To get this pole, that last lap was one of the most exhilarating lap of my life. I knew this lap was mighty.”

2^nd Place – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda-RBPT, RB21 – 1:11.059:

“I felt good all weekend; the car was actually in a good window. Overall, I’m very happy with Qualifying. The tough choice was the tyres, and I think we did the right thing. I would always pick P1, but [P2] is fine, I’m already very happy with what we achieved to be on the front row.”

3^rd Place – Oscar Piastri, #81, McLaren Formula 1 Team, Mercedes, MCL39 – 1:11.120:

“To be honest, after how practice went, I’m pretty happy with myself at the moment. I’m pretty happy with third, which is a bit different, but I’ll take it here.”

#F1 #CanadianGP FP3: @LandoNorris pips @CharlesLeclerc by 0.078s.

#F1 #CanadianGP FP2: @GeorgeRussell63 tops time-sheets ahead of @LandoNorris, #Antonelli.

#F1 #CanadianGP FP1: @Max33Verstappen quickest ahead of @WilliamsRacing duo.

#F1 Pirelli #CanadianGP 2025 Preview.