The battle between the two Mercedes drivers heated up as George Russell pulled a lap out of the hat to snatch pole position from team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli at the qualifying session for the Canadian GP. Russell pruned two points from Antonelli's lead at the Sprint race, where the two drivers had a wheel-to-wheel battle before the Italian was forced to the grass at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The battle between the two Mercedes drivers heated up as George Russell pulled a lap out of the hat to snatch pole position from team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli at the qualifying session for the Canadian GP. Russell reduced Antonelli's championship lead by two points at the Sprint race as the pair went wheel-to-wheel before the Italian was forced into the grass at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Russell was a struggle for almost the whole session, unable to keep up. For a moment it looked like Mercedes’ run of pole positions this season might end as defending champion Lando Norris claimed provisional pole on the first run in Q3 with Lewis Hamilton in second behind him.
Russell flying lap out of the blueAntonelli was fourth after a scrappy lap, but he took the provisional pole from Norris, who failed to improve as did Hamilton on the second run. Russell had enough time to complete his final lap and clocked a 1 minute, 12.578 second lap, 0.068 seconds clear of Antonelli to take pole for the race he won last year.
“Out of nowhere, that last lap,” said Russell. "It was such a great feeling when it was such a challenging session and you pull it all together on that last lap - to throw yourself up the leaderboard is epic.
Antonelli, who secured his Mercedes on the front row of the grid next to Russell, was happy with the show. I am very happy. “George did a great lap, there was maybe a little bit left on the table, but all eyes on tomorrow. Let's see what the weather is going to be like, but we'll try to be prepared for anything.
Second row for McLaren, Hamilton fifthMcLaren drivers Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out second row ahead of Ferrari’s Hamilton, who was just under three-tenths slower than Russell in third and fourth. Max Verstappen struggled with the straight-line speed and finished sixth, just ahead of teammate Isack Hadjar.
Charles Leclerc had a horror Q3 to end the session in eighth, ahead of Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto secured 10th for the Sunday race.
Russell wins Sprint after tough battle with AntonelliRussell was involved in an early clash with Antonelli during the sprint race, forcing the teenage sensation onto the grass en route to an entertaining pole-to-win victory. Russell successfully defended against two attacks from the 19-year-old on lap six before contact at Turn 1 sent Antonelli off the track.
The Italian driver was not pleased with the incident, calling it "very naughty". "I need to recheck. Emotions were very high in the moment, and obviously I was very annoyed," Antonelli said in an ensuing press conference, moments after a frosty finish-line handshake with Russell.
"We just need a bit of clarity, and then once it's clear, it's all going to be fine. The main thing for the team is that there's no contact, that we don't pressure each other, which today at the end was very close."
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