In Montréal qualifying, it was Sergio Perez who got eliminated in Q1.
The grid has been set for the Canadian Grand Prix, and here are the results from the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
In the qualifying rounds, notable figures faced unexpected early eliminations. Sergio Perez found himself knocked out in Q1, while the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were eliminated in Q2.
Canadian Grand Prix qualifying results throw up big surprises
With the threat of rain placed at 80% in the session, it was unsurprising to see every driver want to put in as many laps as possible throughout Q1 – and that led to plenty of traffic as a result, with the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve not leaving much room for manoeuvre.
Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri, who were considered the favorites, faced the possibility of elimination at the end of Q1. However, Piastri managed to overcome the challenge and avoid elimination, whereas Perez was unable to do so. Sadly, Perez was knocked out in Q1 for the second consecutive race, while his teammate finished first in the initial stage of qualifying.
As the rain started to pour, Q2 commenced, prompting the drivers to hit the track and make the most of the dry surface. They were well aware that the initial laps could be pivotal in determining their performance.
However, the rain managed to stay away – at least for Q2 – with just a few drops falling during the next 15 minutes while the drivers fought to secure a spot in the top 10.
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Despite a hectic period and an exceptional weekend in Monaco previously, the Ferrari duo faced disappointment as both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were eliminated in Q2, failing to secure a spot in the top 10 shootout.
In the initial Q3 runs, the leading positions were occupied by the two Mercedes drivers, with George Russell ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton’s outstanding performance in FP3 earlier that Saturday demonstrated his remarkable speed.
Throughout the weekend, Mercedes seemed to be in contention for pole position. However, the ultimate challenge awaited them in the final moments, as the rain stubbornly avoided the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Initially, the two McLaren drivers managed to outperform the Mercedes duo. However, the real surprise came later when Russell and Verstappen both clocked the same time, resulting in a tie. Since Russell set the identical time first, he will have the advantage of starting from pole position on Sunday.
Rarely do such moments occur, but Russell and Verstappen were evenly matched in terms of lap times, and they could have a similar outcome during the race.
Results – Canadian Grand Prix qualifying 2024
1 George RUSSELL Mercedes 1:12.000
2 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull +0.000
3 Lando NORRIS McLaren +0.021
4 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +0.103
5 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +0.178
6 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +0.228
7 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +0.280
8 Yuki TSUNODA RB +0.414
9 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +0.701
10 Alexander ALBON Williams +0.796
11 Charles LECLERC Ferrari 1:12.691
12 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +0.037
13 Logan SARGEANT Williams +0.045
14 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas +0.225
15 Pierre GASLY Alpine +0.249
16 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing 1:13.326
17 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber +0.040
18 Esteban OCON Alpine +0.109
19 Nico HULKENBERG Haas +0.653
20 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +0.966
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