2022 Canadian Grand Prix qualifying report & highlights: Verstappen braves wet

In treacherous conditions for qualifying at the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, it was Max Verstappen who kept his head to claim his first pole position of 2022 since Imola – with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso set to join him on the front row after a stunning run from the Spaniard.

Lapping on intermediate tyres on the drying Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Verstappen clocked a time of 1m 21.299s, leaving him a full 0.645s clear of the pack, headed by Alonso – who will make his first front row start since taking pole in Germany 10 years ago.

Completing the top three was the Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, whose team mate Charles Leclerc is set to start P19 after taking on new power unit elements. Lewis Hamilton showed his wet weather prowess to take P4, ahead of a fine performance for the Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher, sharing the third row in P5 and P6.

Esteban Ocon claimed P7 ahead of the second Mercedes of George Russell – an attempt to set a lap on slicks in the closing stages coming to nought for the Englishman, as he spun at Turn 2 – with Daniel Ricciardo heading Zhou Guanyu. The Chinese driver was making his first ever Q3 appearance, but will be investigated after the session for an infringement at Turn 14.

Valtteri Bottas was 11th, ahead of the Williams of Alex Albon, then Sergio Perez – who crashed his Red Bull out of Q2, bringing out red flags – ahead of Lando Norris, the Briton experiencing a power unit issue.

Leclerc was P15, but will fall back with his penalty, promoting Pierre Gasly, Sebastian Vettel, Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi, who all dropped out in Q1.

Yuki Tsunoda will bring up the rear of the field, having also taken engine penalties for power unit changes.

More to follow…

AS IT HAPPENED

Q1 – FP3 stars Vettel and Gasly fail to make it through, as both Canadians drop out

Race Control made no bones about the weather conditions ahead of qualifying, confirming that the risk of rain was 100% – with all the runners duly spending the opening segment on the extreme wet tyres. “Plan is to get a time on the board early with the risk of red and yellow flags,” Pete Bonnington, Hamilton’s engineer, radioed to his driver. “I can’t see a lot ahead of me,” Hamilton retorted.

Conditions were certainly tough – but the 20 drivers set to lapping the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with Max Verstappen leading the way with a 1m 32.219s, ahead of the Alpine of Alonso, driving beautifully in the wet, having led FP3 in similar conditions.

Q1 would witness some big scalps, with Pierre Gasly and Sebastian Vettel both falling foul of the conditions and dropping out – the pair having been P2 and P3 in FP3, Vettel audibly frustrated over team radio.

There was disappointment for the home crowd too, with both Montreal-born racers Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi going out in Q1, along with the second AlphaTauri of the engine penalty-hit Yuki Tsunoda, who took P20. Charles Leclerc, who will also start at the big of the grid after taking a raft of new power unit elements, progressed through to Q2 in P5, while Alex Albon also impressed to make his and Williams’ first Q2 appearance since Bahrain.

Knocked out: Gasly, Vettel, Stroll, Latifi, Tsunoda