Max to start Canadian Grand Prix from P2: 'I am very happy with qualifying'

Published on 14 June 2025 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen will start the Canadian Grand Prix from second place. At the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, George Russell put his Mercedes on pole position ahead of Max’s Red Bull in P2. The McLaren of Oscar Piastri will start from P3. Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari completed the top five. Max’s Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, finished the qualifying session in eleventh but will start from the back of the grid due to a penalty.

“I felt quite good all weekend,” Max said after qualifying. “The car was in a good window and this track is quite cool. It kind of feels like a big go-kart on the kerbs and we have got the long straights and heavy braking. You need to be quite efficient on the straights here, and I think we are.”

Max continued: “I am very happy with qualifying. The car was again working quite well, and the tough choices were the tyres, which ones to use. But I think we did the right thing.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, the four-time world champion said: “We will see what we can do tomorrow. I am already very happy with what we have achieved today, we are on the front row, and hopefully tomorrow we can have a solid race.”

At the start of Q1, it was uncertain which tyre compound would deliver the best results. The difference between the soft and medium compounds was very small, with the mediums potentially performing better over a single lap. The weather was fine, with an air temperature of 21 degrees, as both Williams drivers were first to take to the track.

Most drivers opted for the soft tyres. Kimi Antonelli, Pierre Gasly, Franco Colapinto, and Fernando Alonso chose to go out on mediums. It took a while before Max came out on track. After most drivers had completed their first run, the top five were: Alonso, Max, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc.

During the session, bad news came in for Yuki Tsunoda: he received a ten-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race for overtaking Piastri during a red flag in Free Practice 3.

Alex Albon brought out a red flag when the engine cover of his Williams detached on the long straight before Turn 13. All the carbon debris had to be cleared off the track, forcing the race officials to suspend qualifying with a red flag.

Once the track was reopened, Max stayed in the garage for some time but gradually began to drop down the timesheets. As a result, the world champion was eventually forced to go out. When the chequered flag fell, both McLarens were in the top two spots, and Max had managed to improve his time to finish fifth. Gabriel Bortoleto, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, and Pierre Gasly were on the wrong side of the cut-off and were eliminated.

Max was out early when Q2 got underway. The Dutchman had a set of mediums fitted to his RB21. That paid off, as he topped the timesheets after his first run, closely followed by both McLarens. When the flag dropped, Russell was fastest, ahead of Norris, Leclerc, and Max.

Tsunoda, Oliver Bearman, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, and Nico Hülkenberg did not make the cut and could head for the showers. Due to his ten-place grid penalty, Tsunoda will start from the very back on Sunday.

When the lights turned green for Q3, both Ferraris were first on track. Max remained in the garage a little longer, and all drivers started their first runs on soft tyres. Max also went out on softs. After the initial runs, the top three were: Max, Piastri, and Russell. Over team radio, Max reported: “My steering started to feel heavy again at the start of the lap, just like in FP1. Bit strange.” Norris made a mistake in the final chicane, costing him a good lap. On a second attempt, he managed to secure P5.

At the start of the decisive final runs in Q3, Alonso went out on mediums. Of the top three, Piastri headed out first, followed by Max and Russell. Piastri was on softs, while Max and Russell went out on mediums for their final runs. Piastri initially jumped to P1, before Max went quicker. But it was Russell who claimed pole after a stunning lap.

Contest GP Canada: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing 2025 cap!

Results qualifying Canada: