It was fun for Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg was all smiles on Saturday afternoon after a surprise second-place finish in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hulkenberg’s team Haas don’t have many days like that. So when standing next to Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso in the unlikely top three, Hulkenberg couldn’t stop smiling and waving.
Unfortunately, his joy didn’t last long. A few hours later, the race stewards penalized Hulkenberg for speeding during a red flag in one of the qualifying sessions. His second place was fifth on the grid and the front row suddenly looked familiar. Red Bull’s Verstappen took pole position, next to him was Aston Martin’s Alonso.
Viewing method
time: The Canadian Grand Prix starts at 2pm ET. (The global start time is here. )
tv set: The race will be broadcast on ABC in the United States. Available for streaming on ESPN+. Pre-race coverage begins at 12:30pm. Don’t live in the US? Check out the full list of F1 stations wherever you are. can be found here.
Sunday starting grid
Verstappen is on pole – pretend to be surprised – and a Hulkenberg penalty moves Alonso into second. It’s been a week since he made this promise. he will never finish the podium Also this season.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will start third and fourth, which should help Mercedes, who both finished on the podium last season. However, Ferrari’s struggle continued. Carlos Sainz dropped out of the top ten after being given a third-place penalty for obstructing Pierre Gasly in qualifying, while Charles Leclerc was out of the top ten. team exploded It was after I believed that the tire change had gone wrong. ‘We need to improve now’ Leclerc was furious.
sunday storyline
Momentum: Red Bull has won all seven races this season and has won 17 of the last 18 overall. There’s no reason to think that such an advantage will make Sundays a day off, especially the team’s chances of securing its 100th F1 victory.
upgrade: Lewis Hamilton likes the feel of seeing it from the Mercedes technicians. (Interesting.) Leclerc hinted that the Ferrari team is still groping in the dark and not understanding what the problem is. (Not good.) Still, if some of these teams don’t start getting faster with upgrades soon, Verstappen and Red Bull’s garage might have a new trophy before the summer break is over.
weather: Heavy rain during Saturday’s session made it difficult for drivers to see and hold the track, which may have contributed to some of the penalties. Sunday’s weather is expected to be slightly better, with cloudy rather than rainy weather, but tire choice will be important in the event of any rain.
what they say
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“The day ended not as good as it used to be. Hulkenbergpushed Haas (temporarily) into second place, but was demoted off the grid on penalties.
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“That’s exactly the plan. Let’s put two cars on the podium.” I’m very confident. ”— Lawrence Stroll, the Aston Martin team owner (and proud Canadian) predicted a big weekend in Montreal. Alonso is in a position to live up to his bragging rights. Stroll’s son, Lance, doesn’t. He will start in 16th place.
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“The whole team has new energy and it feels like we have the North Star. We know where we are going. We know how to get there.” Hamiltonwho liked the Mercedes upgrade coming into the weekend.
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“Basically I want to restart and move forward again.” — Sergio Perez Red Bull’s disappointing performances in the last two races made its early two wins a distant memory. Finishing 12th in qualifying on Saturday would not turn things around.
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“He needs to stop thinking about the championship and just drive.” — Red Bull Team Principal, Christian Hornerafter hearing Perez’s comments and before his recent dismal qualifying effort.
last timeout
Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago by leading from wire to wire and winning by 24 seconds.
Drivers’ Championship Standings
Verstappen took his fifth win of seven races (2nd in the remaining two) and extended his lead over team-mate Perez to 53 points.
