Key events
8/70: Intermediate tyres for Kevin Magnussen but his pit are rather slow to serve him. He drops back after his early surge.
7/70: Hamilton in Alonso, in 6th and 7th, almost go close to each other but show their street smarts.
6/70: The inter tyres are now quicker than the wets, so let’s see some changes in the field. Logan Sargeant comes off at Turn 5, spins but is back up and running.
5/70: Leclerc, with problems in his engine, is in discussions with the radio. Russell and Verstappen are in front and keeping from trouble.
4/70: The rain is starting to slow down. The Nico Hulkenberg, on the same tyres as Magnussen, has come from 17th to seventh. Magnussen is lapping far quicker than Russell.
3/70: The mist coming off reminds of Japan 1976, James Hunt, Niki Lauda and all that. Magnussen is ahead of Piastri and in fourth. He’s having the time of his life. It was Gasly involved at the start in a slide, but all good, everyone’s back on.
2/70: Leclerc is back in 10th, Sainz drops back to 15th, and it could have been worse. The rain has come down now, and the track is deluged. Magnussen is up to sixth in those wet weather welles, and past Hamilton, and then fifth. Everyone else is skating around.
Away we go…..
They crawl away and Russell holds off Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton and Ricciardo look to clash before Hamilton goes clear to go up a place. There’s someone off the track at the first turn. Great stuff from Russell. Kevin Magnussen in his Haas, with wet tyres, makes progress. Carlos Sainz almost comes to grief.
The drivers are out of their coats and into the cars but a downpour is expected imminently. The parade lap takes place amid a swirl of mist from the cars. Some panic over the tyres among the drivers. The weather will add a further dimension.
Martin Brundle is on his pit walk, and much of the talk is of moisture.
It sounds like a rave out there on track, as the drivers get ready for the off. Rain is going to cause some trouble here.
It’s soggy out there.
It will all change in 2026 – with no DRS.
The Red Bull wobble that gives the rest hope.
Saturday’s events covered here.
Preamble
Mercedes on pole? It’s been a long wait, since 2022, for a Merc win, and George Russell, as he will do from next season, carries the flag. Max Verstappen was denied by having set the same time later so it’s not as if he’s off the pace despite a couple of doubts creeping in. Let’s see how we go in Montreal, where Mercedes feel in the ascendancy for the first time in a while, and Red Bull a little more doomy about prospects.
Starting grid:
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1) George Russell
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2) Max Verstappen
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3) Lando Norris
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4) Oscar Piastri
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5) Daniel Ricciardo
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6) Fernando Alonso
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7) Lewis Hamilton
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8) Yuki Tsunoda
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9) Alex Albon
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10) Lance Stroll
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11) Charles Leclerc
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12) Carlos Sainz
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13) Logan Sargeant
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14) Kevin Magnussen
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15) Pierre Gasly
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16) Sergio Perez
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17) Valtteri Bottas
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18) Nico Hulkenberg
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19) Zhou Guanyu
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20) Esteban Ocon*
