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. 'Times rapidly getting faster as qualifying progresses'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    There's quite a lot of evolution on the track and the lap times as sessions go on.

    The track takes a step backwards at the beginning of the session and then you see times just rapidly getting faster and faster as qualifying progresses.

  2. Championship leader Oscar Piastri, clear of Lando Norris by 10 points in the title race, goes third on the timesheets. Charles Leclerc is 0.280 seconds off the pace of Max Verstappen in fourth. Ferari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who has won in Canada seven times, level with Michael Schumacher, is sitting in fifth after his opening push lap.

    oscar piastriGetty Images

  3. 'Huge confidence boost for Colapinto'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    That will be a huge confidence boost for Franco Colapinto, it's just what he needed. It felt like he's arrived into this Alpine car and nothing has gone his way so far, he hasn't had a session, a race, or a qualifying time that you would say has given him confidence.

    He's done that now, he can try and build some momentum, score some points and see how he can transform his season.

  4. Verstappen quickest

    Max Verstappen is also putting his trust in the medium compound in the early stages in Q2 while the rest of the field stick with the red-banded soft tyre. The four-time world champion lays down a 1:11.638 as his first marker. Lando Norris is 0.038 seconds behind the Dutchman in second.

  5. 'Alonso showing a great turn of speed'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The local hero Lance Stroll is climbing out of his car and he will be starting in P18.

    Meanwhile, his team-mate Fernando Alonso is having a great day out in P6, he's really showing a great turn of speed on the medium compound tyre.

  6. Go! Go! Go!

    Phew. Ready to go again? Q2 is green.

  7. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton were the top three drivers in that opening qualifying session. Franco Colapinto also out-qualified Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly, while Liam Lawson was baffled by Racing Bulls' performance.

    Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, is still flabbergasted he has fell at the first hurdle through no fault of his own.

    Lando NorrisGetty Images

  8. 'Surprising from Sainz'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Really surprising from Carlos Sainz, I had both Williams up in Q3 in my mind, so that's desperately disappointing.

    What a great qualifying for Franco Colapinto, up into the top 10, I didn't expect that.

  9. Team radio - Hadjar to Racing Bulls

    "Why did Sainz try to run into me? I thought he had aborted."

  10. Out in Q1

    16. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)

    17. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

    18. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    19. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

    20. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

  11. Team radio - Sainz to Williams

    "Massive impeding, massive"

  12. 'Massive impeding'

    Carlos Sainz cried "massive impeding! Massive!" as the Racing Bulls of Isack Hadjar, who is through to Q2, came across his path on his hot lap. I think the stewards will take a look at that incident.

  13. Albon up to P6

    Alex Albon grabs the rope and is pulled to safety in sixth place. But Williams team-mate Carlos Sainz is eliminated in Q1.

  14. Alex Albon needs to regroup now so he doesn't end up a Q1 knockout. Isack Hadjar moves up into the top six, as George Russell goes fifth fastest.

    Gabriel Bortoleto drops down into the danger down but Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg manages to climb out and go P13.

    Isack HadjarGetty Images

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

    I do hope that Alex Albon is able to try and compete and get out of Q1.

    Will they be able to at least get one flying lap? That should be all he needs because he's showed some great pace this weekend.

    It's going to take an almighty effort from the Williams crew to get that car out.

  16. Albon back out

    OK, a lot happened in a short amount of time then. There are three minutes left on the clock and Lando Norris is pushing in the McLaren. He crosses the line and goes top with a 1:11.826 - 0.113 seconds quicker than team-mate Oscar Piastri.

    Great work, Williams. Alex Albon is back out on track.

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

    It looks like Lando Norris is taking a new set of soft tyres just to make double sure that he makes it through to Q2, whereas his team-mate Oscar Piastri is sticking on the same set of tyres.

  18. Danger zone

    16. Carlos Sainz

    17. Pierre Gasly

    18. Alex Albon

    19. Oliver Bearman

    20. Nico Hulkenberg

    Carlos SainzGetty Images

  19. Track clear

    The debris has been cleared following Alex Albon's Williams engine cover flying off in Q1. His engineer had to inform Albon what had happened to the car; seemed to happen out of nowhere.

  20. 'Gutting for Tsunoda'

    Sam Bird
    Formula E driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    [On the 10-place grid penalty] Even if Yuki Tsunoda were to make the top 10 in Q3, he will be starting from last, that's really gutting for him.

    At least let's hope he can make Q3 as he's showing a little bit more pace which is great, but it's going to be a challenging weekend for him.