Summary

  • Mercedes' George Russell takes Canadian Grand Prix pole

  • Russell will start alongside Max Verstappen

  • Piastri third, Antonelli fourth, Hamilton fifth, Alonso sixth

  • Norris down in seventh with Leclerc eighth

  • Get involved: #bbcf1 and f1@bbc.co.uk

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna and Tasnim Chowdhury

  1. Team radio - Verstappen to Red Bull

    "My steering wheel got heavy again starting the lap, like FP1, bit weird."

  2. Lando Norris is going again on the same set of soft tyres as George Russell puts in a third-fastest time. He's joined on the second row for now by team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

    Max Verstappen says his steering wheel is feeling heavy again, while Norris can only go to fifth with his second flyer.

    Lando NorrisGetty Images

  3. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Lando Norris has gone long, deep and wide into the final chicane, lost the rear end and he will have to give that lap up.

  4. Verstappen goes quickest

    Oscar Piastri beats Charles Leclerc by nearly half a second in the McLaren thanks to some purple sectors. But here comes Max Verstappen... provisional pole for the Dutchman! The gap is just 0.025 seconds between the Red Bull and the McLaren.

    Lando Norris has made a mistake on his first attempt and is now on the back foot sitting in P7.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  5. 'Alonso looks hugely impressive'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Fernando Alonso has looked hugely impressive, especially on the medium compound tyre.

    He looks so at home with that tyre, less so on the soft but if he's got a couple sets of mediums left, I can see him threatening the top five in this Q3.

  6. Leclerc puts down a time

    The new C6 soft compound is the tyre of choice for the seven cars who have come out to do their first flying lap in this third qualifying session. Trying to predict who will take pole today is a tricky one. Charles Leclerc gets us off the mark with a 1:11.729.

    Charles LeclercGetty Images

  7. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It could be anybody and we're just about to find out who wants to be on pole position. It's really between six or seven drivers, it's so close.

  8. Go! Go! Go!

    Who wants this pole position?

    We've got two Ferraris, two Mercedes, two McLarens, one Williams, one Aston Martin, one Red Bull and a single Racing Bulls car.

    Q3 is green.

  9. 'Russell is absolutely flying'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    George Russell is absolutely flying on the medium compound tyre setting the fastest time in Q2.

    We said he looked good all the way through free practice and he's doing the business again.

  10. George Russell topped the second part of qualifying ahead of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. Alex Albon is through to the pole fight after his bodywork blowout and rookie Isack Hadjar has also booked his place in Q3. Carlos Sainz, speaking to Sky Sports, said he was too upset to think about tomorrow's race following the impeding incident with the Racing Bulls youngster.

    George RussellGetty Images

  11. Out in Q2

    11. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

    12. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

    13. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

    14. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

    15. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

    Franco ColapintoGetty Images

  12. Nico Hulkenberg is out in Q2 but does move higher than Oliver Bearman and will start P13. Yuki Tsunoda will line up at the back of the grid on Sunday because of his penalty, but the Red Bull driver has just caused Charles Leclerc to give a surprise radio message at the end of that session.

  13. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I think Alex Albon will be kicking himself a little bit.

    He's missed the apex just by about a metre going into Turn 13 and what that does then is it creates a tighter radius corner for Turn 14, that then means a worse exit and less straight line speed ability down to the end of the lap and the finish line.

  14. Russell now quickest

    Polesitter in 2024 George Russell shoots to the top on the medium tyre. The time for the Mercedes man is 1:11.570.

    Yuki Tsunoda is carrying that hefty 10-place grid penalty for tomorrow's grand prix and he's only 10th at the moment. Franco Colapinto is back in the danger zone.

  15. There are five drivers now on the yellow medium tyres, including Franco Colapinto, who is trying to save his skin in the Alpine. He kicks up a bit of dirt as he closes out the lap and only moves to 10th spot. That's safe, but Yuki Tsunoda is the man in 11th place and improving.

  16. Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The Ferraris are working better than expected.

    I expected more from the Mercedes at this point in qualifying, I think it's quite exciting because I expected George Russell versus the McLarens.

  17. Leclerc goes top

    Charles Leclerc can beat Max Verstappen's time in the Ferrari to go quickest with a 1:11.626 on the red rubber. The gap between the two drivers is just 0.012 seconds.

  18. Danger zone

    11. Franco Colapinto

    12. Isack Hadjar

    13. Esteban Ocon

    14. Nico Hulkenberg

    15. Alex Albon

  19. The rear of Franco Colapinto's Alpine is sliding towards the wall of champions but the Argentine avoids disaster to go P11. Oliver Bearman in the Haas is the driver on dangling the edge in P10.

  20. There is not a spare seat in the house as Yuki Tsunoda reaches the hairpin to the delight of the packed crowds in the grandstands. The Japanese driver completes his flyer on the softs but only goes seventh fastest, which is now down to P9, as Fernando Alonso and Kimi Antonelli bank better times.

    Yuki TsunodaGetty Images