Canadian Grand Prix: George Russell pole as FIA launch new Lewis Hamilton investigation

George Russell made it back-to-back poles right at the end of a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix qualifying session.

Kimi Antonelli thought he had done enough for pole, only for Russell to snatch that P1 grid slot with a 1:12.578. It was a qualifying of twists and turns, with Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar all looking like pole contenders at different stages. Hamilton faces a fresh FIA investigation over potentially impeding Pierre Gasly.

George Russell on pole for Canadian Grand Prix

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After a gripping and fiery Sprint from a Mercedes point of view, the cars came out and back into parc fermé conditions as qualifying for the Grand Prix got underway.

The teams and drivers faced a setup dilemma, balancing a dry qualifying with what could prove a wet Sunday.

With the risk of rain over 40 per cent, the FIA had declared a rain hazard for Grand Prix Sunday.

Even before reaching the track to begin Q1, Franco Colapinto showed some quick reactions on the brakes as Fernando Alonso emerged from the Aston Martin garage. That was noted, and soon upgraded to a post-session investigation.

The sister Aston Martin had also alerted the stewards, Lance Stroll’s car potentially having been released in an unsafe condition. That too would be investigated post-session.

Alex Albon led the pack out, getting his qualifying endeavours up and running for the weekend. Albon was forced to miss Sprint qualifying due to damage sustained from an unfortunate marmot strike in FP1.

Lando Norris was setting the early Q1 pace with a 1:14.213.

Alonso and Segio Perez had been noted over a potential failure to follow the race director’s instructions at the final chicane. George Russell was feeling the bumps in his Mercedes.

The second round of push laps saw Antonelli go nearly six tenths clear of Russell. Isack Hadjar popped up to P2.

Charles Leclerc had to go again after his lap time was deleted. His new effort stood and put him eighth.

Pierre Gasly, Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg, Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto needed a better time to make Q2.

Oliver Bearman had lost a piece of his Haas car.

Already investigated and cleared after the Sprint, Hamilton had caught the attention of the stewards again, this time for potentially impeding Gasly. That became another investigation.

Leclerc was told to box as the Q1 clock hit zero, Ferrari telling their driver that they needed to check the car.

Antonelli set the Q1 pace. Bottas, Stroll, Perez, Alonso, Albon and Ocon were out.

Antonelli was laying a marker down once more as Q2 got up and running.

But, Norris and Hamilton were bringing the fight, both within a tenth of the championship leader’s 1:13.076.

Up popped Hadjar again into second, the Frenchman continuing to impress in the Red Bull RB22 in Montreal.

Verstappen was struggling to warm up his front tyres in the sister Red Bull.

Liam Lawson, Gasly, Bearman, Bortoleto, Sainz, and Colapinto needed a better time to make Q3.

Russell, in eighth, was forced to straight-line the opening chicane. That ramped up the pressure for his final run.

Hamilton was flying as he went fastest, and Russell jumped up to P3. That was until Hadjar took top spot. One tenth covered the top five!

Bearman, Sainz, Gasly, Bortoleto, Lawson and Hulkenberg were out.

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Q3 time! And what a battle for pole position we had on the cards. Was Hamilton about to bag his first Ferrari pole? Or a Hadjar maiden pole out of nowhere?

With the first runs done, it was Norris on provisional pole, Hamilton P2. Antonelli was P4 only, and Russell abandoned his lap as the picture shifted at the front again.

A frustrated Verstappen was down in sixth, three quarters of a second off the pace.

Russell went out early and elevated himself to the second row. He did have time to go again. Verstappen was struggling to improve.

A 1:12.646 and provisional pole for Antonelli! But, here came Russell… Pole!

Russell pulled off quite the recovery to pole at the end of a sensational qualifying.

Q3 results

1 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.578
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.068
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.151
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.203
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.290
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.329
7 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing +0.357
8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.398
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.702
10 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.119

Q2 results

1 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing 1:12.975
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.066
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.074
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.101
5 George Russell Mercedes +0.104
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.310
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.504
8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.521
9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.573
10 Franco Colapinto Alpine +0.882
11 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +0.911
12 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.922
13 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.096
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.212
15 Carlos Sainz Williams +1.298
16 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +1.441

Q1 results

1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:13.380
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.123
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.179
4 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing +0.274
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.387
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.445
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +0.515
8 George Russell Mercedes +0.573
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.687
10 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.896
11 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.966
12 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +1.069
13 Franco Colapinto Alpine +1.086
14 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1.182
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.318
16 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.395
17 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.465
18 Alexander Albon Williams +1.471
19 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.816
20 Sergio Perez Cadillac +2.049
21 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.815
22 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +2.892

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