F1 Canadian GP live commentary and updates - Qualifying
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That's it for qualifying, hope you've got your breaths back! We'll be back tomorrow to see what kind of fireworks emerge into Turn 1.
See you then!
George Russell, polesitter for the Canadian GP: "Today was awesome in front of this amazing crowd. To get the pole, to be honest that last lap was probably one of the most exhilarating of my life. I saw every corner I was going quicker, and to get P1 was a real surprise, but I was so chuffed with it."
Max Verstappen, second on the grid: "I felt quite good all weekend, the car was in a window. This track is quite cool, it feels like a bit of a big go-kart track on the kerbs, long straights, heavy braking, you need to be quite efficient on the straights. I'm quite happy with qualifying."
Oscar Piastri, third on the grid: "To be honest after how practice went I'm pretty happy. It's a nice turnaround, it's always the question do you want the medium or the soft, but we were having problems so we just wanted to keep it safe."
Russell appeared to be wearing an Alice band underneath his balaclava to keep his hair back - is he the most Alice-bandy driver going?
Verstappen was sitting pretty with his 1m11.059s, but Russell stole past to re-enact last year's front row - just this time, without the same lap-time to split them.
Norris and Leclerc will be disappointed with seventh and eighth respectively; Norris couldn't get into the groove on his final lap, as Leclerc blamed his snap on dirty air from Hadjar's VCARB.
It's a 1m11.120s for Piastri, who goes to the top! Norris can't improve and only goes seventh.
Verstappen then fires his way to the top on the mediums, but Russell blasts to a 1m10.899s to snatch pole at the very end - also on the medium tyre!
Leclerc has a slide at Turn 7, and that's caused him to back off after an impressive first sector.
The McLarens are now on course - Norris being told to focus on his lines.
Alonso goes fourth on mediums, 0.338s off the pace. Hamilton goes ahead of him, fourth for him, 0.278s away from Verstappen. So Hamilton was at least consistent over his second and third sectors after losing about 0.2s in the opening split.
And the last dance beckons. Leclerc and Hamilton hit the road on fresh softs - Hamilton's not exactly extracting what he needs to get into the mix for pole.
Order after first Q3 runs
1. Verstappen - 1m11.248s
2. Piastri - +0.025s
3. Russell - +0.268s
4. Antonelli - +0.341s
5. Norris - +0.377s
6. Leclerc - +0.434s
7. Alonso - +0.550s
8. Hamilton - +0.580s
9. Albon - +0.808s
10. Hadjar - +1.106s
Russell gets a 1m11.516s, and Antonelli a 1m11.589s - they were both on softs, as it turned out.
Norris does go again on the same set of tyres, and gets fifth fastest - so he's at least got a banker in.
Albon is on the mediums, but it's only ninth for now - 0.8s off the pace.
"Let's reset and remember your braking references," Norris is told. He'll have to regroup, and hope the next set of tyres are a bit more fortuitous.
Leclerc opens Q3 with a 1m11.729s, while Norris has to abort as he goes over the kerb at Turn 13.
Piastri sets a 1m11.273s, a monstrous effort, but Verstappen finds even more time to do a 1m11.248s!
Q3 begins - let the battle for pole commence!
Green light, let's go! The Ferraris hit the road first, Hamilton on used tyres after burning up an extra set in Q2, Leclerc on new C6s. Albon also has used softs.
Top 10 shootout contenders
Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Verstappen, Piastri, Alonso, Hamilton, Albon, Antonelli, Hadjar.
Game on.
"It could have been Q3 maybe, I'm sorry," Colapinto says. He's P12, however, so that's his best qualifying result since returning to F1 with Alpine.
Eliminated in Q2
11. Tsunoda
12. Colapinto
13. Hulkenberg
14. Bearman
15. Ocon
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images
Hulkenberg can't improve, Ocon can't improve, so that's your lot for Q2.
Hadjar threads his way through the traffic to move past Tsunoda and goes up to ninth - Tsunoda is out in Q2. Alonso then goes sixth, putting Hadjar back onto the bubble...
It's a 1m11.570s for Russell, who goes to the top on the mediums. Tsunoda pushes Colapinto out of the top 10, as Antonelli then improves to put the Japanese driver on the cusp.
Colapinto gets into the top 10 on the mediums, hugging the inside to the timing line.
Can any of the bottom five (Tsunoda, Bearman, Hadjar, Ocon, and Hulkenberg) find a way past the Argentine?
Albon gets seventh on the mediums, 0.337s off Leclerc's time. Bearman, Colapinto, and Ocon are on track as we speak, all looking to make use of the clear track.
Verstappen and the McLarens are going out again, presumably not feeling safe for a Q3 entry.
Leclerc sticks on a fresh set of softs and goes quickest, setting a 1m11.626s to put himself in the frame. Top four all within 0.1s - told you it would be close!
Russell goes sixth, as Mercedes' pace does appear to have topped out slightly after starting the weekend well. Antonelli moves up to eighth.
Albon's now out on the mediums, running in the gap.
Tsunoda goes up to seventh on the used softs, he's going to have to make Q3 to mitigate that 10-place grid penalty. The Mercs are now on track.
Fourth and fifth for Ferrari on the used softs, just 0.3 off the pace. Bearman and Colapinto are seventh and eighth on used softs, as Alonso moves up to sixth on fresh softs.
It's a 1m11.638s for Verstappen on those mediums, as Norris is just 0.038s off Verstappen on used softs. Piastri, on new softs, goes third.
Q2 begins in Montreal
Verstappen is out first, joined by Norris, Piastri, and Colapinto. Mediums for Max, who presumably saw Alonso's pace and fancies some of that action.
Having come into the weekend under pressure, Colapinto's pulled out 10th in that session - 0.4s clear of last-placed Gasly. He'll be chomping at the bit to reach Q3.
Sainz was irate about Hadjar, angling for a hefty penalty for the Racing Bulls driver over the radio.
Eliminated in Q1
16. Bortoleto
17. Sainz
18. Stroll
19. Lawson
20. Gasly
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images
Oh, Sainz got impeded by Hadjar at Turn 6. "Why did Sainz almost run into me, I thought he aborted," says the Frenchman - who's got a penalty coming his way, surely.
Albon secures safety with sixth, as Sainz seemed to kick up a bunch of dust on the home straight and only goes 16th!
That's 17th when Bortoleto moves up to 16th, and Gasly is only 0.8s off Norris - but he's last and he's out!
Lots of improvement; Hadjar went fifth, but Russell moved ahead of the Racing Bulls driver. Antonelli goes 10th, but what of our eliminees?
Bearman gets up to 11th, pushing Ocon into the bottom five. Ocon then responds to go 14th, as Hulkenberg is up to 12th.
Alonso's finding a good streak on these mediums, going up to fourth to split the Ferraris. Colapinto now goes sixth, just 0.4s off Norris - where did that come from?
Both Williamses are still in a bit of trouble...
The pace has ramped up now; Piastri goes to the top with a 1m11.9, then Norris does a 1m11.836s. McLarens appear to be safe, with Leclerc slotting into third before Hamilton gazumps his team-mate.
Q1 resumes, five minutes and 30 seconds on the clock
Here we go again - for what's likely to be last orders in this session. Alonso still top over Verstappen, Piastri, and Hamilton.
Q1 elimination zone as it stands
16. Sainz
17. Gasly
18. Albon
19. Bearman
20. Hulkenberg
Albon's new engine cover is being fitted and taped down, so he should be able to return to the field. He's currently 18th, so he needs to get a lap in quicksmart.
By: Haydn Cobb
