Russell finds the square, Ferrari-Leclerc with tires off

It will still be an all-Mercedes front row in Canada, although the competition is getting closer and closer. For the moment the main fight continues to be the one inside the silver garage, where George Russell solves his problems at the last minute, outwitting a very fast Antonelli. McLaren maximizes the result and stays at the door, while Ferrari has to deal with Leclerc’s difficulties, this time different from those on Friday. Russell’s comeback The lap that earned George Russell his third pole position in Canada is one typical of great champions. The Briton has the mental strength to find the winning streak at the last moment, also reacting to Antonelli’s message, which between the attacks in the Sprint and the excellent times throughout the qualifying suggests that he has something more. Yet it will be the Englishman who will start in front of everyone, after a qualification full of problems. At first Russell complains about the instability on the many bumps and curbs in Montreal, perhaps exacerbated by the changes that Mercedes made to the mechanical set-up in anticipation of possible rain during the race. Then the number 63 took issue with the set of tires fitted in Q2, while a lockup under braking in Q3 forced him to abort his first attempt, an episode which paradoxically turned out to be his salvation. Russell, in fact, returns to the pits first, and then exits one lap ahead of everyone else. After setting a good time, the Brit sets off again, this time with the tires no longer intact, but already up to temperature, also being able to take advantage of the maximum evolution of the track. The result is a pole position with great psychological weight, but Antonelli has every reason to remain calm. The Italian rider demonstrated that he has the pace to challenge his teammate, on a track where Russell always tends to exalt himself. If anything, the pressure is all on George, forced to bring home a victory that has been missing since Melbourne. Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images McLaren ever closer If on the one hand Mercedes monopolizes the front row for the second time in 24 hours, on the other hand the stopwatch confirms that the advantage over the competition is becoming ever thinner. The short track in Montreal only partially justifies the two tenths given to McLaren and three to Hamilton’s Ferrari, confirming the fact that after the first round of updates the opponents have gotten closer. Furthermore, Montreal is a track that should have exalted the Silver Arrows, even more so on Saturday, when the asphalt temperatures dropped by 10°C compared to Friday. First of the pursuers is McLaren, definitely in better shape than on the first day. The world champions took advantage of the reopening of parc fermé after the Sprint to intervene on the set-up, which had proven far from optimal since free practice. The Woking team thus maximizes the potential on a track that is not very friendly to the MCL40, putting itself in a position to exploit any opportunity that may arise in the race. Photo Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images Ferrari is only there with Hamilton In Canada the best of the Ferrari drivers for the second day in a row is Lewis Hamilton, evidently reinvigorated by the new set-up philosophy. The seven-time world champion is forced to abort his last attempt, complaining about a mistake he made after toying with the idea of ​​starting from third place. If on the one hand being the third force does not satisfy the Cavallino’s ambitions, on the other the only three tenths achieved by Russell, on a track that should have amplified the delay from Mercedes, confirms the steps forward with the updates. Where the SF-26 gives its best is in the first sector, the most driven of the circuit named after Gilles Villeneuve, testifying to the chassis and aerodynamic qualities of the Red. The sore notes come from Charles Leclerc’s garage, only eighth. The Monegasque makes it known that he has resolved the problems of Friday, when the main limit was the braking sensations, but still he continues to not have any type of harmony with the car, defining the feeling as the worst he has ever felt. In Q1 and Q2 Charles especially complained about the difficulty in generating temperature in the tyres, a problem common to everyone in Canada, as demonstrated by the double warm-up laps, on a track that transmits little energy to the tyres. The situation improves in Q3, when the reduced traffic finally allows the preparation laps to be carried out cleanly, but despite the tires being up to temperature, Leclerc stops one tenth behind Hamilton, confirming a difficult weekend for the Monegasque. Photo Clive Mason/Getty Images Red Bull two-pronged Leclerc isn’t the only one struggling to get the tires up to temperature, as Verstappen also has to deal with the same problem, with the sensation of driving on ice during the exit laps. The Dutch champion does not go beyond sixth position, criticizing a set-up that the team continues to propose with poor results and denouncing a delay in the straight that has strangely increased lap after lap. The positive news for Red Bull is the presence of Isack Hadjar in seventh place, just a whisker behind Max, a rare event for any of Verstappen’s teammates. In the Red Bull galaxy, the star of Racing Bulls also shines, ninth with the excellent Arvid Lindblad, decidedly at ease among the walls of Canada with the updated VCARB. Attention now turns to the race, where the biggest unknown will be the weather. In case of rain, the limitation of the active aerodynamics and the electrical part could give even more emphasis to the power of the Mercedes engines, but the excellent aerodynamic qualities of the Ferrari could also make the difference. The truth is that no one knows what to expect with these cars in the wet, which is why those who can learn the fastest will come out on top in that case. Click here to add Formula Passion as your favorite source on Google Discover: you will find our content more easily!

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-24 08:55:00