At the end of qualifying marked by rain, it is the inevitable Dutchman who set the best time and who will start from first position on Sunday.
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When the rain comes to a Formula 1 circuit, you can never predict what will happen. And the drops have once again shaken up the hierarchy; Saturday, June 17, during qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, on the Montreal circuit. Certainly, the new pole position of Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – the sixth for him this season – is not a surprise. On the other hand, the German Niko Hülkenberg (Haas) pulled out of the game to the point of setting the second fastest time in Q3 on a wet track.
Gasly embarrassed by Sainz, Leclerc out
It was indeed necessary to know how to deal with the changing weather to get out of it on Saturday on the Montreal track, where the rain took pleasure in playing hide and seek, forcing the drivers to constantly adapt. The experienced Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) took advantage of this to climb to the second row, finishing 3rd and 4th respectively in these qualifications, just ahead of George Russell (Mercedes). The German team is the one that has passed the most between the drops, unlike Alpine and Ferrari.
On the French side, if Esteban Ocon’s sixth place eases the pain, the fate of Pierre Gasly is enough to infuriate. The French indeed saw his trajectory cut by Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) in Q3, and could not achieve his reference time to aim higher. “I’m absolutely disgusted, it was extremely dangerous what happened in front of me with Carlos. It’s not the first time it’s happened with him. It’s ruined qualifying for us. I’m disgusted”, commented the Norman, in a cold anger, at the microphone of Canal +.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. If ever I was to be penalized, they should also penalize other drivers”, answered Carlos Sainz, at the same microphone. Anger that was also found on the side of Charles Leclerc, who repeatedly asked to change tires in Q2, without being listened to by his staff. Result: the Monegasque did not reach Q3 and did not hide his disappointment.