GEORGE RUSSELL secured pole to set up a tasty battle with old foe Max Verstappen — then roared: “What a f***ing lap!”
It was the first pole for the Mercedes driver this season.
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And it reignites the battle with bitter rival Verstappen, who joins the Brit on the front row and will be desperate to get past him from lights out in today’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri finished third — but it was a horror show for his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, who was down in seventh.
Russell said: “It was awesome. To get the pole, that last lap was one of the most exhilarating of my life.
“This lap is mighty and to cross the line in P1 was a real surprise — but I was so chuffed with it.”
It was sweet revenge for Russell, who was deliberately driven into by Verstappen in Barcelona last time out.
That earned the Dutchman three points on his licence — and the four-time world champion now needs to be on his best behaviour in Canada this weekend as he is just one penalty point away from suspension.
When asked about Verstappen, Russell added: “We’re mates, it’s all good.
“I’ve got a few more points on my licence to play with!”
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The row clearly did not put Verstappen off his stride.
The 27-year-old said: “I felt good all weekend — the car was actually in a good window.
“I’m very happy with qualifying. I’m already very happy with what we achieved to be on the front row.”
Norris was the culprit of a major cock-up in Q3 as he went well wide on his first lap in the final session and failed to record a lap time.
The big error from the McLaren driver meant he had to have two more goes at recording a lap time, having already put their tyres through their paces.
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli bagged fourth, while Lewis Hamilton made it into fifth ahead of sixth-placed Fernando Alonso.
It came down to the wire and pole position could not be called as Russell fired a warning shot, notching the fastest time in Q2 just ahead of Norris.
Verstappen showed you can write him off at your peril as he flew into provisional pole ahead of Piastri in the final session.
Yet Aussie Piastri said: “After how practice went, I’m pretty happy with myself at the moment.
I’m already very happy with what we achieved to be on the front row.
George Russell
“I’m pretty happy with third, which is a bit different, but I’ll take it here.”
Alex Albon’s engine cover bizarrely flew off his Williams six minutes into Q1 and brought a red flag so debris could be cleared from the track.
The cover flew off down the back straight and he nearly lost control into the final chicane due to less downforce.
And there was beef between Carlos Sainz and Isack Hadjar in the first session as the Williams driver was booted out in 17th as he felt the Racing Bulls rookie “massively impeded him”.
Williams team principal James Vowles said: “It’s frustrating. Disrupted session, but we had a fast car.
“That’s just a car that’s staying on line and clearly not aware of what’s around him.
“Hadjar, I’m sure, will receive a penalty. We will focus on Alex now.”
