Lewis Hamilton missed out on an unexpected shot at pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix. Mercedes stunned the F1 paddock by setting the pace in qualifying, but it was George Russell who prevailed.
Hamilton had set the pace in the final practice session in a glimpse of Mercedes’ potential. But the question was whether the Silver Arrows would fall away when it mattered as they have done numerous times this season.
As it turned out, their pace was genuine. Russell and Hamilton were the only drivers to dip into the 1:11s in Q2, and they were also one-two after the first runs in Q3.
Lap times were expected to tumble when the drivers bolted on a new set of tyres for their second and final runs. But while world champion Max Verstappen improved, neither Mercedes driver could find any pace.
Verstappen extraordinarily matched Russell’s time to the nearest thousandth of a second, but it was the Briton who took pole position because he’d crossed the line first. Hamilton, meanwhile, was bumped down to seventh.
The 39-year-old holds the record for the most pole positions in F1 history with 104 but hasn’t started at the front since last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix. And he now trails his teammate 8-1 in the qualifying head-to-head.
Martin Brundle can’t understand Lewis Hamilton woes at Canadian Grand Prix
Speaking on Sky Sports F1 immediately after the session, Martin Brundle expressed his confusion at Hamilton’s showing. He failed to set a personal best in any of the three sectors on his fresh rubber.
It’s possible that the track conditions changed between the two runs. The threat of rain was hanging over the session throughout.
But that’s why the first lap of a Q3 session can be so important. And this time, Russell set the all-important benchmark.
Brundle said: “I don’t what happened to Lewis. None of his sector times shone, did they? It was as if he just didn’t find grip, didn’t have the tyres where he needed them. Because nothing stood out on that lap.”
His colleague David Croft noted the ‘contrast’ in the demeanour of the two drivers in parc ferme. Russell basked in his second career pole with his mechanics as Hamilton cut a forlorn figure.
He said: “Quite the contrast in the exterior of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. While Russell celebrates, Lewis walks into the garage to get weighed and I’m sure will be dearly unhappy that turned out for him.”
Liam Lawson reacts to Hamilton F1 24 rating
Hamilton has made his poorest-ever start to a Formula 1 season. Not only has he failed to finish on the podium in any of the first eight races, he hasn’t even managed to make it into the top five.
The best he’s been able to do so far is back-to-back sixth-place finishes at the Miami and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix. He arrived in Montreal eighth in the championship, 12 points behind Russell in seventh.
Hamilton’s struggles may have contributed to his relatively low rating in the new F1 24 game. The most successful driver in the sport’s history has been given a score of 89 out of 100, seven lower than Verstappen.
Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson believes that’s a ‘fair’ reflection of their current performances, and it’s hard to argue. Even on a track where Hamilton has won seven times, he was out-classed by the man on the opposite side of the garage.
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