F1 LIVE | Russell wins the Canadian GP as McLaren drama finally ignites!
George Russell and Max Verstappen had a war of words late in the 2024 campaign. Photo: RacePictures
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A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
With the menace of a race ban for Max Verstappen one could only dream of a Starting Grid like the one that's set for today's Canadian Grand Prix, yet here it is: George Russell will start on pole, with Verstappen right beside him.
In the dying moments of Saturday afternoon's qualifying, Max Verstappen seemed poised to take pole ahead of Oscar Piastri, but a last minute push lap from George Russell demoted the Dutchman to P2.
Heated Canadian GP start?
During the on-the-grid interviews, Russell added insult to injury with comments regarding Verstappen's penalty points, and how the Briton could afford to take more risks since he had a laxed super license points tally, denoting that the Dutchman's was capped.
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The comments humoured Verstappen none as was made evident by his explosion during the post-qualifying FIA Press Conference. However, the Mercedes driver paid no mind to Verstappen's animosity and added that if the Dutchman was to miss a race 'it wouldn't be the end of the world.'
Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner disregarded the menacing race ban that lords over his driver's head and called for a hard race for the lead during the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
For Red Bull's chief advisor, Verstappen starting in P2 was not such a bad position to be in and tipped the Dutchman for the win in Canada. Fellow Austrian, Mercedes' team principal and CEO Toto Wolff, instead lauded his driver for 'one of Mercedes' best ever poles' and was encouraged by his team's ability to perform in hot weather conditions, something they've been struggling with for some time yet.
Verstappen himself, though, saw the tyre management as critical ahead of the race, something Red Bull Racing have appeared to be unable to solve in the short-term. Nevertheless the track temperature is expected to drop as the race goes on, which should aid the Dutchman in his tyre saving efforts.
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