Max Verstappen takes pole position in rain-hit qualifying session at Canadian Grand Prix

By India Today Sports DeskFormula One world champion Max Verstappen secured pole position in a rain-affected qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix, giving Red Bull Racing the opportunity to achieve their 100th win.

The unpredictable conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve led teams to make risky tire decisions as the track changed. Initially, Nico Hulkenberg’s gamble paid off, placing him alongside Verstappen on the front row, but a three-place penalty for breaching red flag rules moved Fernando Alonso into second place.

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time winner in Canada, will start in third position, followed by his Mercedes teammate George Russell in fourth, and Hulkenberg in fifth.

Verstappen’s pole position, his 25th career pole, was achieved with a time of one minute and 25.858 seconds. The Dutch driver expressed his satisfaction with the result, attributing his success in the wet conditions to his experience driving in his home country, the Netherlands.

Verstappen’s victory on Sunday would mark his 41st career win, equaling the record of Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna. Red Bull Racing has dominated this season, winning all seven races, with Verstappen claiming five and his teammate Sergio Perez winning the other two. However, Perez faced another disappointing qualifying session, failing to advance from Q2 for the third consecutive race and starting in 12th position.

While the day was not without its challenges for Red Bull, team principal Christian Horner has urged Perez to focus solely on driving rather than the championship standings. The changing track conditions caught out several teams, including Perez, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, who all failed to progress. Surprisingly, it was Williams’ Alex Albon who topped the timesheets in the first qualifying session.

The rain returned in Q3, resulting in a wet circuit and red flags due to a crash involving McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Hulkenberg initially secured second place, but a post-session penalty for failing to observe speed limits saw him drop down the grid.

Pierre Gasly of Alpine accused Carlos Sainz of impeding him and subsequently failed to progress from Q1, with the stewards agreeing and issuing Sainz a three-place grid penalty. Lance Stroll also received a three-place grid drop for impeding Esteban Ocon of Alpine, leaving him with little hope of achieving a podium finish on home soil.