F1 Canadian GP Live Commentary and Updates – Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2024 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.
George Russell grabbed pole position for the Canadian GP having set an identical lap time to Max Verstappen in Q3, and duly gained top spot having set the lap time first.
Lando Norris heads an all-McLaren second row from Oscar Piastri, with Daniel Ricciardo impressing with fifth for RB – fresh from criticism by 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.
With Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso sixth and Merecedes’ Lewis Hamilton seventh, both Ferrari drivers will fight from outside of the top 10 after being dumped out in Q2, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez starts from 16th following his Q1 exit.
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"We are seeing something strange on the engine side, we are looking at it."
Not a good message to hear for Leclerc down in 11th.
Leclerc: "Is everything ok on the engine?"
"No, it is not, but keep pushing," is the reply from the Ferrari pitwall.
Russell currently leads by 2.9s from Verstappen, who now sets a new fastest lap of the race with a 1m33.859s. Magnussen is now slower than those ahead after the rain has stopped falling.
Yellow flags are out - Sargeant has gone straight on at Turn 6. But he finds reverse and recovers to the track.
Hamilton is all over Alonso after the Aston Martin goes straight on at the final chicane.
But a mistake for Hamilton at Turn 1 means he will have to concede the position gained - as Alonso almost loses control. Phew all around.
After enjoying the success of the wet tyres, in comes Magnussen to pit for intermediates. He drops from fourth to P12 - not helped by the fact that it was a horribly slow stop.
The times are falling very quickly now with Verstappen putting in a new best of 1m30.766s.
Replays are now showing the contact between Perez and Gasly. It's been deemed a racing incident but there is damage to Perez's front wing.
Purple micro sectors are lighting up the screen on Russell and Verstappen's latest tour.
A penalty could be coming Ricciardo's way, however, with the Australian being noted for a false start.
And moments after Russell sets a new race best, Verstappen goes faster still. Norris then returns the favour with a 1m29.860s, and all are improving again on the current lap.
The time has definitely gone for the extreme wets - Hulkenberg is three seconds adrift per lap of Hamilton ahead of him now.
With a significant dry line appearing, drivers are now being warned to cool their tyres. No rain is expected for over 20 laps and teams will surely be considering when the crossover to slicks will occur.
Confirmation at Haas that the tyres weren't ready for Magnussen at his pitstop. Disaster.
A big train behind Hulkenberg now, with Ricciardo, Stroll, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Albon and Sainz behind.
The crossover must be close, as Norris puts in a 1m28.032s.
Finally Ricciardo gets past into the final chicane and that gives him the chance to go clear of Stroll, who follows through on Hulkenberg a few corners later.
Ricciardo has been given a five-second penalty for a false start.
Here comes Verstappen. He has closed to within a second of Russell and the pair lead the two McLaren drivers by seven seconds.
Hulkenberg makes his stop and will fall right to the back of the field, in company with Sargeant.
After being told that more rain is expected in 20 minutes, Russell asks what Mercedes want him to do. "Don't tear the surface of the tyre," is the instruction. Still, he has a long way to go if he is to avoid stopping for slicks before that time.
Red Bull must be considering pitting Verstappen for slicks soon. So long as he can switch them on, Russell would have no opportunity to respond.
While the front two are cooling tyres, Norris is closing at around two seconds per lap.
Ricciardo is some 19 seconds off Hamilton's sixth position now. Hulkenberg really was the cork in the bottle.
Alonso is now just 2s off the lead pair, having set a new fastest lap of 1m26.553s. He is absolutely flying!
Verstappen runs wide at Turn 2 and Norris is now right on the Red Bull driver.
DRS enabled!
If it does rain again shortly, Magnussen will have fresher intermediates than those around him - it could bring him back into the top 10.
And worse still for Verstappen, Piastri is now the fastest driver on the track and is closing up on the Verstappen-Norris battle for second.
Talking of the top 10, Albon got past Tsunoda momentarily for the final points-paying position, only for the RB to fight straight back.
More rain is expected in nine minutes. Pitting now would ordinarily seem logical, but teams are desperate to avoid an unnecessary second stop just a few laps later.
Norris makes his move on Verstappen and is now on the gearbox of Russell. The move was a standard DRS run into the final chicane.
One lap after passing Verstappen, Norris completes an identical move on Russell for the lead. But Russell then runs off the track and almost collects Verstappen as he returns to the asphalt in third.
And Norris has built a lead quickly, pulling out a 1.9s margin.
Albon has made a leap into ninth by getting past Tsunoda and Leclerc.
But the Williams and RB drivers are under investigation for a Turn 13 incident.
Race control has noted Russell for an unsafe rejoin.
No further investigation for Albon and Tsunoda.
Bad news for Verstappen and Russell as they have now not only dropped 4s off Norris, but they now have Piastri within 2s of them.
And now within 0.8s of the pair!
But here are the dark clouds. Rain will fall very, very soon. But will it be enough to upset the pace of the McLarens?
By: Autosport Staff
