It was a remarkable day at the Canadian Grand Prix as rain dressed the track and the session shuffled the order. Max Verstappen locked in pole position during a rain-soaked qualifying, while Fernando Alonso delivered a bold performance that caught many by surprise. The two-time world champion used the favorable conditions to his advantage, and Sergio Perez faced a tough turn of events that limited his pace. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, slid into a steady second tier, and Carlos Sainz pressed with solid but not spectacular laps, nailing a strong performance that kept him in the lead pack as the session unfolded.
From the very start, Leclerc’s fate seemed decided even before the lights went out. The Monegasque Ferrari driver pushed his car to the limit on Friday, opting to swap his entire engine unit for Sunday’s race, a bold risk that would carry a heavy penalty. A parallel situation hit Yuki Tsunoda, who also made a full components overhaul with the aim of aligning his strategy with Leclerc’s, both teams counting on an aggressive approach from the pit lane to claw back positions from the back of the grid.
Q2 moved the drama along as Red Bull pressed forward to secure the best possible position for the final sprint. Perez attempted a classic lap but encountered trouble, steering straight into the wall and damaging the nose of his RB car, prompting a red flag and a late restart. The scramble to recompose on track added a fresh layer of tension to the session as crews prepared for a restart under the Canadian skies.
When the action resumed, a fresh wave of competition entered the frame, and the two existing title contenders found themselves tested by the evolving track conditions. Sainz and Verstappen faced a renewed challenge as the context shifted in the closing moments of the session, while Alonso seized the opportunity to stamp a message that he could again mix it with the top teams. The Canadian course provided a vivid backdrop for a fight between the two leading constructors and a reminder that every session can alter the balance of power on the grid.
Entering Q3, Verstappen demonstrated why he has earned a reputation for extracting maximum performance from his machine. His lap stood as the benchmark, leaving rivals chasing down a time that seemed increasingly out of reach. Even Sainz, with his best effort, could not quite match the flying Dutchman’s pace. The Milton Keynes squad claimed pole with authority, while Alonso stuck to the pace, anchoring the front row with a blistering effort. Behind them, Sainz endured a late charge but weighed down by a sector that didn’t quite cooperate, leaving him to settle for a shot at a strong start from the second row as the grid prepared to depart for Canada’s demanding layout. This unfolding drama showcased the talents of the drivers and confirmed Verstappen’s continued dominance as a force in the championship chase, with Alonso signaling that Alpine can still deliver when the weekend comes alive. A determined effort from a Madrid-born racer kept him within reach of the lead pack, signaling a potential battle for victory as the lights go out in the race to come, with the field closely bunched and every tenth counting.
[Citation: team analysis and on-track events summarized for Canadian GP qualifying]