Canadian Grand Prix: Vettel beats Bottas to pole

Sebastian Vettel on the way to pole for the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix

View the Canadian Grand Prix qualifying result

Sebastian Vettel on the way to pole for the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel claimed pole for the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix, pipping Valtteri Bottas by less than a hundredth of a second in qualifying.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, quickest throughout free practice, showed impressive pace to split the Mercedes to claim third – 0.05sec faster than Lewis Hamilton.

Kimi Räikkönen lines up fifth, with Daniel Ricciardo rounding out the top six. The top six heads into Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix covered by 0.35sec.

Valtteri Bottas had become the first driver ever to lap in the 1min10s in the opening runs of Q3, beating his team-mate Hamilton by almost four tenths. But Vettel quickly jumped to the top of the timesheets, going a hundredth quicker than the Finn to head into the second runs on provisional pole.

Räikkönen had been in the top three after the opening runs, albeit three-tenths back from Vettel, but a mistake exiting Turn 2 saw him unable to improve with his second lap.

The Red Bulls navigated Q2 on the hypersoft tyres, unlike the rest of the field that opted for the ultrasofts. Vettel attempted late flier on the hypersofts but was forced to abort his lap when he was slowed by a train of cars preparing for their final runs.

Nico Hülkenberg once again qualified seventh as best of the rest ahead of Force India’s Esteban Ocon, with Carlos Sainz ninth.

Sergio Pérez, who like Force India team-mate Ocon chose to run just once in Q3, claimed 10th.

Toro Rosso, Haas and Sauber proved closely matched around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with a little more than half a tenth covering the teams in qualifying. Kevin Magnussen of Haas came out on top to claim 11th, three-hundredths quicker than Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley. Charles Leclerc placed his Sauber 13th, a further three hundredths back.

Fernando Alonso could only manage 14th, despite having spent Friday practice inside the top 10. His team-mate, Stoffel Vandoorne, qualified 15th – 0.090sec adrift of his team-mate.

Both McLarens entered the final runs of Q1 in danger of missing the cut, but Alonso and Vandoorne just jumped clear of Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly to demote him to 16th and out of qualifying. Gasly’s Honda engine had been replaced with an earlier specification following practice.

Williams pair Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin continued to struggle, comprising the penultimate row of the grid.

Romain Grosjean’s qualifying lasted little more than a few yards, as smoke billowed from the back of his Haas almost as soon as he left the garage.

Marcus Ericsson clipped the wall to end his session early, and will join Grosjean on the final row of the grid.


Canadian Grand Prix qualifying classification

1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1min10.764sec
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes +0.093sec
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.173sec
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.232sec
5 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari +0.331sec
6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull +0.352sec
7 Nico Hülkenberg Renault +1.209sec
8 Esteban Ocon Force India +1.320sec
9 Carlos Sainz Jr Renault +1.404sec
10 Sergio Pérez Force India +1.908sec
11 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1min12.606sec
12 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 1min12.635sec
13 Charles Leclerc Sauber 1min12.661sec
14 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1min12.856sec
15 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1min12.865sec
16 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1min13.047sec
17 Lance Stroll Williams 1min13.590sec
18 Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1min14.061sec
19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1min14.593sec
20 Romain Grosjean Haas No time set

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