In a thrilling showdown at Montréal, George Russell and Max Verstappen reached a nail-biting dead heat for the pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The F1 starting grid is in place for the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with some shocks having been made along the way.
Sergio Perez was an early exit from qualifying for Red Bull in Q1, whereas both Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, had a challenging time as they are positioned on the sixth row of the grid due to a lack of pace from the Scuderia.
F1 starting grid in place for the Canadian Grand Prix
Qualifying in Montréal had a high chance of rain on Saturday, and in a dramatic first part of qualifying it was Sergio Perez who was the first big name to fall for Red Bull, getting edged out of the session at the first hurdle for the second race in a row.
Due to his collision with Pierre Gasly in Monaco, Esteban Ocon will begin the race from the back of the grid. Additionally, his penalty of five places will be applied starting from that position, as he was also eliminated in Q1.
What challenges await at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend?
The foolproof Canadian GP formula that new US F1 venues should copy
Wall of Champions explained: How one Canadian Grand Prix corner gained its fearsome name
In Q2, the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz faced unexpected setbacks, resulting in their elimination before their expected time. Consequently, both drivers from Scuderia Ferrari will commence the race from the sixth row, side by side.
But with Mercedes looking right in the mix, George Russell’s 1:12.000 was good enough for pole – and while Max Verstappen matched that lap time to the millisecond, because Russell set that lap time first, he will take the P1 grid slot on Sunday.
This is only the second instance in F1 history where a dead heat occurred for pole position, since the introduction of the third millisecond in qualifying. However, Russell will be absolutely delighted to have not only secured pole position, but also to have achieved it by being the first to complete his lap.
F1 starting grid: 2024 Canadian Grand Prix
1 George RUSSELL Mercedes
2 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull
3 Lando NORRIS McLaren
4 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren
5 Daniel RICCIARDO RB
6 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin
7 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes
8 Yuki TSUNODA RB
9 Lance STROLL Aston Martin
10 Alexander ALBON Williams
11 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
12 Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
13 Logan Sargeant, Williams
14 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
15 Pierre Gasly, Alpine
16 Sergio Perez, Red Bull
PL Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber**
17 Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
PL Zhou Guanyu, Kick Sauber**
20 Esteban Ocon, Alpine*
*Five-place grid penalty carried over from the Monaco Grand Prix.
** Pit lane starts for changing rear wing specifications.
Read next: Follow PlanetF1.com’s WhatsApp and Facebook channels for all the F1 breaking news!
