Canadian Grand Prix, Friday – LAT Images
Report in progress…
The track was still dry at the start of the third qualifying session (Q3), to the point that some drivers were using Soft tires previously used. This indicated that setting a fast time on a dry track was not the main priority, as weather radars had informed teams that weather conditions were changing.
After the first set of laps in Q3, George Russell led the pack and had secured provisional pole position, followed by Lewis Hamilton in second place, with Max Verstappen in third.
Oscar Piastri finished fourth, ahead of Fernando Alonso in fifth and Lance Stroll in sixth, just behind his teammate. Alexander Albon came in seventh, Yuki Tsunoda in eighth, Lando Norris in ninth, and Daniel Ricciardo in tenth.
However, all drivers returned to the pits to switch to new Soft tires with four minutes remaining in Q3, signaling the start of the final qualifying laps.
Q2 started with dry conditions, although rain was forecasted during Q3. Once again, drivers quickly lined up in the pit lane to ensure they could complete a fast lap on a dry track.
Norris’ engineer reported that the first raindrops had fallen at Turns 7 and 8, and it was expected to last for a short period of two to three minutes.
Officials announced that Verstappen was being investigated for not following the race director’s instructions when exiting the pit lane.
Replays showed Verstappen expressing his frustration with Russell, who was ahead of him, while Hamilton had a slight moment on the kerbs at the final chicane but managed to keep control of his car.
“Russell had a scare at Turn 4, but miraculously didn’t crash,” he said over the radio. “Wow! I had a big scare at T4.”
With five minutes remaining, the final laps in Q2 began as the drivers returned to the track with new sets of Soft tires to secure their spots in the top ten.
At the end of Q2, Russell set the fastest time with a lap of 1:11.742, 0.237 seconds ahead of Hamilton in second and 0.459 seconds faster than Norris in third.
The biggest surprise of Q2 was that both Ferrari drivers failed to make it to Q3. Charles Leclerc finished in 11th place, missing out on Q3 by just 0.032 seconds to Stroll, while Carlos Sainz was 0.037 seconds behind his teammate in 12th place, having made a mistake on his final lap.
It seems that using used Soft tires in the early laps was not a wise decision by Ferrari, as Verstappen did the same and just managed to qualify for Q3.
Logan Sargeant was the 14th fastest driver for Williams, 0.180 seconds ahead of Kevin Magnussen in 14th place, while Pierre Gasly finished in 15th place.
The early stage of qualifying began in dry conditions, with the track temperature at 32 degrees Celsius and the air temperature at 20 degrees. However, there was an imminent 80% chance of rain, adding an element of uncertainty to the session.
In a race against time, the drivers hurriedly made their way to the pit lane exit, eagerly awaiting the green light. It was crucial for them to complete a few initial laps on a dry track before being caught out by the impending rain.
Surprisingly, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Williams chose to wait and stay in the pits. Williams even kept Alex Albon confined in the garage. Meanwhile, Norris received information about light rain in Turns 7 and 8, despite no signs of rain on the radar. Grip levels were still far from ideal, as Perez noted: “Very low grip.”
Sainz had a setback as his initial lap time was invalidated for exceeding track limits at Turn 2. He momentarily lost control of his car and went off track.
Warming up the tires to the right temperature proved to be a challenging task, with grip levels remaining low, as demonstrated by Carlos Sainz’s incident at Turn 1. #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/fgIwDseqB1
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 8, 2024
As the session progressed and track conditions evolved, drivers relentlessly pushed for faster laps. Stroll had a run-in with the Wall of Champions but managed to continue, while Russell and Hamilton went off track onto the grass at Turn 8.
Piastri complained about being hindered by Hamilton and Tsunoda, while Leclerc also had to navigate through traffic on his racing line.
The first set of laps revealed a surprisingly balanced field, with the entire grid within a margin of 1.3 seconds. Each driver had to be careful not to make mistakes.
On the other hand, Verstappen continued his tradition of expressing dissatisfaction with downshifts to his team. He was not happy with his performance.
At the end of Q1, Verstappen emerged as the leader, setting a time of 1:12.360. He was 0.388 seconds ahead of Tsunoda in second place, with Hamilton securing the third fastest time.
For the second consecutive weekend, Perez was unable to progress beyond Q1, narrowly missing out on Q2 by just 0.037 seconds to Gasly. The Mexican driver finished in 16th place.
Valtteri Bottas, from Sauber, ended up as the 17th fastest, trailing Perez by 0.040 seconds and with a 0.069-second advantage over Esteban Ocon in 18th place, representing Alpine.
Nico Hulkenberg, who experienced the highs of the 2023 qualifying with a second place, struggled and ended up as the 19th fastest driver in Haas. Zhou Guanyu concluded the session in 20th place.
© 2024
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo made an incredible play in the last game for Real Madrid. The player scored three goals and helped his team win 4-1. Ronaldo once again showed why he is considered one of the best players in the world.
The match started with Real Madrid dominating the field and creating several goal-scoring opportunities. Ronaldo opened the scoring 20 minutes into the first half with a powerful shot from outside the box. The player showcased his skill and precision by hitting the goal’s angle.
In the second half, Ronaldo extended Real Madrid’s lead with two more goals. The first was a header, after a perfect cross from his teammate. The second goal was scored in an individual play, where Ronaldo dribbled past three opponents before finishing perfectly.
The opponent managed to reduce the score, but Ronaldo was inspired and closed the match on a high note. With his brilliant performance, the player showed that he still has a lot to offer to football and left Real Madrid fans excited for the rest of the season.
The victory of Real Madrid was greatly celebrated by the fans and the coaching staff. The coach praised Ronaldo’s performance and highlighted his importance to the team. With the three goals scored, the player became the top scorer of the championship and helped Real Madrid maintain the lead in the table.
The next match of Real Madrid will be against a tough opponent, but with Cristiano Ronaldo on the field, the team has great chances of emerging victorious. The fans are eager to see another brilliant performance from the star and hope that he continues to make history at the club.
