@Max33Verstappen claims pole position in rain-soaked qualifying. #F1 #CanadianGP

Verstappen Canadian GP Pole – Reigning world champion Max Verstappen clinched pole position in a rain-soaked qualifying at the Canadian GP and ahead of Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg who was second and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who completed the top three.

In Q3, Verstappen held provisional pole with a 1:25.858 before the red flag caused by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who spun and hit the wall with the rear of his MCL60 racer at the exit of turn seven and the beginning of sector two with seven minutes remaining on the clock. The Dutchman was 1.244 seconds clear of Haas F1 Team’s Hulkenberg and Alonso was a further 1.428 off in third.

The rain became heavier in the final five minutes and all drivers were unable to set and improve on their final lap-times meaning the top three’s respective positions on the grid were secure without it being threatened.

Mercedes pairing Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell followed in fourth and fifth respectively and in-front of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris who qualified in sixth and seventh.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was eighth but is currently under investigation from the stewards from impeding Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in Q1.

The aforementioned Piastri was ninth and Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon completed the top 10 with the latter not registering a lap-time in the final segment.

In the second qualifying stage, which was topped by Albon who took a gamble on the softs and paid off to perfection, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez were the shock knockouts of Q2, wounding up in 11^th and 12^th respectively and were unable to improve on their stints with the C5 red side-walled softer rubber.

Home favourite Lance Stroll placed 13^th in his Aston Martin AMR23 entry and in-front of Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas who were 14^th and 15^th.

In the opening segment, which was topped by Verstappen, the drying nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve saw the drivers showing continual improvement, and the session saw movements right up and down the classification as the midfielders battled against falling into the drop zone.

Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Tsunoda was the quickest of the Q1 eliminatees in 16^th and ahead of Alpine’s Gasly who took 17^th and team-mate Nyck de Vries who came 18^th in the order.

Gasly was absolutely furious with Sainz and suggested over the radio that the Spaniard “should be banned.”

Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu brought up the rear with the latter bringing out a red flag due to his stoppage with 15 minutes to go in the session but managed to restart and get back to the pits.

You can see the full Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix Du Canada 2023 Qualifying Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1212/canada/qualifying.html

2023 Canadian GP Qualifying – The Top Three

2023 Canadian GP Pole Position – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing – Honda-RBPT, RB19, 1:28.858:

“Yesterday wasn’t fantastic so we made a few changes to the car, I do think the car improved to drive. It was super slippery out there, but we made all the right calls so of course very happy to be on pole here. Maybe it’s dry tomorrow, but we have a good race car.”

2^nd Place – Nico Hulkenberg, #27, MoneyGram Haas F1 Team-Ferrari, VF-23, +1.244:

“It was a wild quali, it was crazy. Changing conditions are tricky here with the walls so close. This comes a bit unexpected but I’m happy and proud, the team did a great job. In this weather there are a lot of radio calls going back and forth. First row is nice, it’s very sweet – let’s see how long we can keep that, tomorrow looks dry so a different cup of tea!”

3^rd Place – Fernando Alonso, #14, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team-Mercedes, AMR23, +1.428:

“It was a very tricky qualifying in terms of choosing the right tyre at the right time, but P3 – we’ll take it. I think tomorrow we have a chance to put some pressure on [Red Bull].”

In the earlier damp FP3 session it was reigning world champion Verstappen topping the time-sheets ahead of Ferrari’s Leclerc with Alonso taking third for Aston Martin as Haas F1 Team’s Magnussen and Ferrari’s Sainz completed the top five. You can see the full Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix Du Canada 2023 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1212/canada/practice-3.html

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