Overview

• George Russell secured pole position with a lap of 1:10.899, outpacing Max Verstappen by 0.160 seconds and leaving Oscar Piastri third on the grid.
• Max Verstappen enters the race carrying 11 penalty points, one shy of the threshold for an automatic suspension.
• Pirelli recommends a two-stop strategy combining hard and medium compounds to address high tire degradation at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
• Lando Norris struggled to seventh place after qualifying errors, and Yuki Tsunoda will start from the back following a 10-place grid penalty for a red-flag infraction.
• The infamous ‘Wall of Champions’ and variable track temperatures add to the strategic and incident risks drivers must navigate on race day.