FACTS AND STATS: Verstappen eyes up a fourth straight win when starting P2 as Perez records back-to-back Q1 eliminations

George Russell grabbed his first pole position of the year in Canada, as Mercedes returned to the front of the field. Max Verstappen managed to salvage a place on the front row despite a difficult day, while Lando Norris wound up third. It was a scintillating qualifying session with pole always up for grabs, the weather threatening and plenty of shocks and upsets. Here are the best facts and stats from Montreal…

• The pole margin was 0.000s for only the second time since timing moved to three decimal places, the first being when three cars tied at the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez.

• There have been 16 previous examples of a tie for pole in total.

• Russell grabbed a second career pole, and will line up in the P1 grid slot for the third time in his career having also started first in Sao Paulo in 2022 after winning the Sprint.

• Six of the last seven races in Montreal have been won from pole, as Mercedes bagged their first P1 start here since 2017.

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• Verstappen was second, but he led into Turn 1 the last time he started P2 on the grid to a Mercedes – in Hungary 2023.

• The Dutchman has won the last three times he started second on the grid – in Hungary, Italy and Las Vegas last season.

• Norris grabbed McLaren’s best start in Canada since 2012, with the team not having scored a point here since 2014.

• Oscar Piastri was fourth, having qualified in the top four at the last four races.

• Sunday is the anniversary of McLaren’s first ever F1 win, in Belgium in 1968.

• Daniel Ricciardo grabbed P5, his best Grand Prix qualifying of the season, ten years to the day since winning his first race here in 2014.

• Fernando Alonso’s sixth place means he out-qualified Lance Stroll for the first time in four races.

• Lewis Hamilton was seventh, having never qualified outside the top five in 14 previous Montreal starts.

• He is also yet to start a Grand Prix in the top six this season, despite missing out on pole by just 0.280s.

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• Yuki Tsunoda was P8, for his first ever Q3 appearance in Montreal.

• Stroll also made Q3 for the first time here, as he grabbed his highest start since Australia where he also recorded his best result of the season with sixth.

• Alex Albon reached Q3 for the second consecutive race.

• Ferrari failed to get a car into Q3 for the first time since Belgium 2021.
  Charles Leclerc didn’t make Q3 here for the second straight year, but he did out-qualify his team mate for the fifth straight race.

• Logan Sargeant was P13, his best qualifying of the year and the first time he has made it out of Q1 this season.

• Kevin Magnussen out-qualified his team mate for only the third time in 2024.

• Pierre Gasly was 15th, as he out-qualified Esteban Ocon also for the third time this year.

• Sergio Perez was 16th as he was knocked out in Q1 for the second straight race, the Mexican having not made Q3 for three races now.

• This is the fifth time Perez has exited in Q1 since the start of 2023 in a car that won last year’s constructors’ and is leading this year’s championship.

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• Valtteri Bottas in 17th recorded his lowest-ever start in 10 visits to Montreal.

• Ocon has reached Q3 on all four previous Montreal appearances, but exited in Q1 today for his first early elimination since Jeddah.

• Nico Hulkenberg was 19th, having qualified second here last year as he suffered his second Q1 elimination of the year.

• Zhou Guanyu was the slowest qualifier for the fifth time in the last eight Grands Prix.