Schuey Snr 'surprised' by pace in qualifying battle
Michael Schumacher admitted that he surprised himself as he cruised to pole in Montreal by a massive margin of over half a second. But the Ferrari driver reckoned his advantage will not last into the race come Sunday.
The championship leader starts from the very front for the sixth time in eight races and for the sixth time at a circuit where he has won three times in four years, and a record four times in all.
His brother Ralf starts alongside him for the second time this year, while title rival David Coulthard is third, beside Jarno Trulli.
The German had taken top spot 29 minutes into the session and then sliced another four-tenths off his time with 10 minutes remaining to secure his first-place start.
"The size of the margin was a big surprise," admitted Schumacher. "After the way it was yesterday I didn't expect it to be that big.
"The other guys didn't seem to take advantage of new tyres - but that doesn't mean it will continue in the race because we won't always have new tyres. The car is as good as it can be in race conditions, but nothing is ever perfect. There are a few issues still to sort and I am looking to improve more in the warm-up."
After the Sauber of Nick Heidfeld crashed in the final minutes of qualifying, a clutch of F1 cars all lined up in the pit lane, ready to fly out of the pits when the session restarted. Schumacher, however, stayed in his garage as both McLarens made a last minute bid for pole. While David Coulthard managed to move up into third place, Mika Hakkinen couldn't improve his time and will start from eighth.
"I knew it would be a mess to go out there and it was," said Schuamcher. "I thought I'd rather watch on television because it would be more interesting - and it was."
Villeneuve and Montoya clash in drivers' briefing
Brilliant Raikkonen Impresses Again
Beating Pro cars at Daytona "cherry on the cake" for GTD-winning Aston team
Beating the GTD Pro entries en-route to winning the Daytona 24 Hours GTD class was "an extra cherry on the cake" for Heart of Racing Aston Martin driver Ian James.
Bertelli investigating more WRC opportunities after Sweden
Lorenzo Bertelli is already working to secure another World Rally Championship outing this year following a planned drive in a rented Toyota GR Yaris at Rally Sweden in February.
Everything we know about the 2023 MotoGP season: Riders, bikes, tracks and more
The 2023 MotoGP season is almost upon us, with one of the biggest shake-ups in the series’ history ahead. Find out all you need to know about calendars, sprint races, teams, bikes and more.
Steiner: Haas F1 2022 rollercoaster better than "just downs" of 2021
Gunther Steiner believes Haas’s “rollercoaster” 2022 Formula 1 campaign took “a lot of energy” out of the team, but felt grateful for the highs after “just downs” the previous year.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.