Russell Secures Pole Position in Thrilling Qualifying Session at Canadian Grand Prix
[Formula 1 News] – Montreal, Canada
It was an electrifying day at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as George Russell claimed pole position for Mercedes in a closely contested qualifying session at the Canadian Grand Prix. The young Briton edged out Max Verstappen of Red Bull by a mere 0.01 seconds, with Lando Norris of McLaren completing the top three.
Post-Qualifying Interviews
In the post-qualifying interview, Russell expressed his elation at securing his first pole position since Hungary in 2020. “It feels so good! So much hard work back at the factory has gone into this. We said it in Monaco that we hope this is the start of something for our season, and I think it is.” Russell acknowledged the supportive Canadian crowd, saying, “Every time we come to Montréal, it’s such good energy from all the fans.”
When asked about his chances of holding off Verstappen in the race, Russell confidently replied, “Why not? Of course. Let’s go for it. I think the car has been feeling amazing. Since we brought some upgrades to Monaco, we’ve sort of really been in that fight now. So, we’re going for it tomorrow.”
Verstappen, who was hot on Russell’s heels, acknowledged that the session was “a bit tricky” for Red Bull but remained optimistic about their chances in the race. “I think overall we still had a good qualifying. The whole weekend has been still a bit tricky for us. But to be P2, I’ll take it.”
Norris, who finished a mere 0.02 seconds behind Verstappen, was content with his third-place finish. “I’m super happy. First of all, congrats to Mr. Russell. I knew he’s been quick all weekend, so congrats to him and to Mercedes. But I’m happy with third. When you’re so close, you always think, ‘could I have jumped in the car for that little bit more?’ But yeah, third is a good job by us, so I’m happy and excited for tomorrow.”
Press Conference
In the press conference, Russell attributed his success to the hard work put in by the Mercedes team and the improvements made to the car since Monaco. “It’s been a while since we’ve experienced this feeling… It bodes well for tomorrow.”
Verstappen concurred with Russell’s assessment of the challenging conditions, admitting that the weekend had been “a bit messy” for Red Bull. “We struggled with the same things, but of course, the track layout helps compared to Monaco… We need to be able to just have cleaner weekends without issues.”
Both drivers emphasized the uncertainty surrounding the race, with Russell predicting a “tough race for everybody” due to graining issues and the unpredictable weather. Verstappen echoed this sentiment, stating, “With the tyres, it’s a bit tricky with the graining and maybe some rain in between. So, yes, a lot of question marks and you just need to get going and see what happens.”
Catch the Canadian Grand Prix live to see if Russell can convert his pole position into a win, and follow all the latest Formula 1 news and updates on our website.
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