MADRID, June 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Dutch Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) took pole position in the Canadian Grand Prix, round eight of the World Cup, in a session marked by the appearance of rain in Q2, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) third. .

Verstappen was the best again on a difficult Saturday where the timing of the outing and the play between the wet and dry tires were decisive. Changing conditions didn’t deter the World Cup leader’s top spot, while Alonso saw the second escape due to a red flag and 200 yards.

The German Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) had time to complete his lap and pass second. For his part, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) had a bad day in Montreal, with a serious blow at the end of the third free practice and an eighth place on the grid which points to the worst due to a sanction under investigation.

One eye on the radar and the other on the track, the timed session on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit began with a red flag as soon as it started due to a breakdown by Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo). The important thing was not to make a mistake and in Q1 there were no surprises until, with the time elapsed, Pierre Gasly (Alpine) almost had a serious accident with a Sainz who did not did not see coming back.

Hence the possible sanction of a Sainz who, after a good performance in the dry, suffered with his Ferrari when the rain came. The water started to fall in the middle of Q2 and the fastest to put on dry tires was Alex Albon (Williams). The English driver was followed by Verstappen, and so on but without the time to use them.

The falls turned into a deluge and the Q2 claimed illustrious victims like Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) very angry for not having engaged this soft tire earlier; Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), for the third consecutive time without reaching Q3, and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) also upset by his high expectations at home.

The survivors of Q3 weathered the downpour, but those who were first in the pit lane exit queue were there. Verstappen, in the lead, took advantage of the little grip that remained on the Canadian track to set an unequaled time (1:25.858) and Alonso was also fast.

The Asturian finished second but a red flag six minutes from the checkered flag, due to an accident by Oscar Piastri (McLaren), froze the session with Alonso 200 meters from improving his time. Hülkenberg had time by a hair and the German took second place on the grid, while the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will start fourth and fifth.