Qualifying Highlights | 2024 Canadian Grand Prix

It's going to be tight for Perez, who just hasn't seemed to find the grip so far in Q1. Leclerc comes through and jumps up, but what about Checo behind? So, the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, trying to make it through into the next part of qualifying, does not want back-to-back Q1 exits. Perez needs a step forward here, comes across the line, and he's up to 12th position. That gives him a bit of a buffer, but it's nowhere near what he'd like. There are drivers flying behind, one of which is Verstappen, who's 15th. Max has to get this final corner in now. He's out of the hairpin. Now, he'll extend up towards the final chicane. He's got margin because he's rapid through the first two sectors, but Red Bull are not finding it all easy. Sargent goes sixth. That is Logan Sargent breaking into the top six. It shows you the track is improving. Verstappen has tumbled down into the drop zone, but that's not going to be the case for much longer. Faster, sector one, sector two, and sector three to book his place into the next part of qualifying. And here is Alex Albon then. If Albon can beat Perez, Perez is in a huge amount of trouble once again in the first part of qualifying. Past the wall that he struck earlier on in practice, Alex Albon looking for an improvement. Does he get it? Yes, he does! Up to fourth position and Sergio Perez falls into the bottom five and he's striking the halo with frustration because for the second race weekend in a row, Sergio Perez is out in the first part of qualifying. Bottas will join him along with Esteban Ocon, Hülkenberg and Joe. Both Mercedes are flying out there once again. There is something about this new configuration of car in the dry that has really worked for them. But Verstappen just looking to book his place into the final. Top ten shootout, but he was deep into third team. He was hanging on to it all the way through the final corner and Verstappen puts his personal best time on the board. Three and a half tenths of a second away. Let's see whether Hamilton can take it any further across the line. Looks a good lap for him and it is a good lap for him. He's topped by two tenths of a second. Into the one minute eleventh. The Mercedes pace is real, it seems today. Hamilton absolutely on it. Russell's quickest in the first sector. Hamilton's quickest in the middle sector. Verstappen got that final sector horribly wrong on the last lap. Was still quickest before Russell's just improved and Mercedes have a one-two. Oh, Carlos Sainz grabs a handful of opposite lock. That Ferrari is not working the way he wanted it to. Another chequered flag. Sainz is out in the second part of qualifying. It spares his teammate. No, it doesn't. Leclerc's gone. Alex Albon up to sixth position and the Ferraris inexplicably having claimed victory in Monaco. A bumpy track with slow speed stuff have come to Montreal and they have found themselves both out. Our most recent race winner, eleventh. Sainz in twelfth position. Out in the second part of qualifying, both Ferraris. Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Logan Sargent, Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly. No one is glued to this racetrack right now. Piastri putting a time on the board of a 1.12.7. Yeah, a fair way away from what Russell managed in Q2. That was a 1.11.7. Verstappen comes to him and does a 1.12.3. That's still on a used tyre and everyone's just fighting the car so much. It is really difficult for them just to keep the car threaded through that final chicane particularly. These are the opening jabs of Q3. They are all happening on used tyres. They will have more grip at the end. But you want to give yourself a foundation because we've seen so many drivers over the road. We've seen drivers in the barrier so far this weekend. And when you're pushing at the grippiest part with the lowest fuel, well, that invites errors. So you've got to deliver still at this part of the session as well. Well, Russell, who has Mercedes' best qualifying position of the entire year so far, with third set at the opening Grand Prix of the year, goes ahead of Max Verstappen to the front of the field with a 1.12 exactly. And Lewis Hamilton makes it a Mercedes 1-2 as we have our early runs on the used Pirelli soft tyre. Piastri is going to come around the final chicane and he's going to put a time on the board. Can this put him into second place? That's where it's looked so far. His teammate is pushing on, currently in ninth position. It is second place for Oscar Piastri with three minutes to go. Still, the two Mercedes remain in the pits. Lando Norris is trying to displace his compatriot George Russell. So the rain has stayed away. It has interfered with the plans of so many out there. This man is a master in the wet. But in the dry, could Norris be going to the front of the field? No, he just misses out. He's two hundredths of a second away with two and a half minutes to go. Daniel Ricciardo, a former winner around this circuit, will be so determined to out-qualify his teammate Yuki Tsunoda for only the second time this season. It's getting personal in the paddock for Daniel Ricciardo, who wants a response up against the critics. Where does this lap put him? Fourth place will tell you that Ricciardo is still fighting in Formula 1, as is Fernando Alonso, who is ripping through that final corner. He's been on the front row here before, but he's behind Daniel Ricciardo. It's fifth place for the two-time world champion. And now to the battle for pole position, which has Max Verstappen close, but behind George Russell. Look at the margin between these three contenders. Verstappen trying to take another pole position. He's eighth of the season so far. Russell looking for just his second in his Formula 1 career. And Lewis Hamilton looking to extend the all-time record. Checkered flag is flying. Max Verstappen out of the final corner for the final time in this session. Can he do enough on new tyres at the end? It's second with exactly the same time! Extraordinary! The exact same time, but he sets it second. So Russell still has one hand on pole position. Only one driver can seemingly deny him. Russell over the line, looking for a second career pole position. He's got it at the moment, but he's up against one of the masters of Montreal. Here comes Lewis Hamilton to the line. And it's not enough. Extraordinary! I can't believe what we've just seen. The top two at the end, separated by absolutely nothing. 1.12.000, set by George Russell first. And it means it's a second career pole position for the British driver, who has taken it by the slenderest of margins. Vampire touch. Vampire, baby! For just the second time in Formula 1 history, a dead heat in qualifying. But George Russell set the time first and takes pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix, the second of his career. Max Verstappen alongside him on the front row. Norris outqualifying teammate Oscar Piastri.